miR-204-5p and miR-211-5p contribute to BRAF inhibitor resistance in melanoma

Purpose: Identification of miRNAs that enable resistance to BRAF inhibitors in melanoma suggests a mechanism-based strategy to limit resistance and improve clinical outcomes. Methods: We generated A375 melanoma cells resistant to Vemurafenib (VMF) with the goal of investigating changes in miRNA expression patterns that might contribute to resistance. Results: Increased expression of miR-204-5p and miR-211-5p occurring in VMF-resistant cells was determined to impact VMF response. miRNA profiles of parental and VMF-resistant melanoma cell lines were generated by deep sequencing, in duplicate, using Illumina HiSeq.