Co-expression of miRNA players in advanced laryngeal carcinoma – Insights into the roles of miR-93-5p, miR-145-5p, and miR-210-3p

Advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is the second most prevalent type of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Identifying microRNAs (miRNAs) related to key regulatory molecules or mechanisms could offer an alternative approach to developing new treatment strategies. The aim of our study is to evaluate significant correlations among deregulated miRNAs in advanced laryngeal carcinoma and to analyze, in silico, their strength of association, targets, and the most deregulated pathways. Several miRNAs demonstrated promising co-expression results, specifically miR-93-5p, miR-145-5p, and miR-210-3p. Their expressions were explored and further validated in a large set of in vivo advanced LSCC samples, which were subsequently used for bioinformatics and enrichment analyses. Our results highlight the significant roles of miR-93-5p, miR-145-5p, and miR-210-3p in regulating major pathways linked to the cell cycle via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), PI3K/Akt signaling, hypoxia, metabolism, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and metastasis. The associations between the expressions of these miRNAs and patients' clinical features could be central to the progression of advanced LSCC. Overall, our study provides important insights into the co-expression and regulatory networks of miR-93-5p, miR-145-5p, and miR-210-3p in advanced laryngeal carcinoma, underscoring their potential as therapeutic targets or biomarkers for this aggressive cancer. Further research is needed to elucidate the specific mechanisms through which these miRNAs contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of laryngeal carcinoma.