Ricerc@Sapienza

The knowledge and understanding of the biology and immunology of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), a highly aggressive skin cancer with neuroendocrine features, expanded dramatically over the past decade, allowing new therapeutic interventions for this previously untreatable cancer. Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) seems to be the major causal factor for MCC since, approximately 80% of all MCC cases, are positive for viral DNAs (MCPyV+). UV exposure, together with immune deficiencies, fair skin, age (immune senescence), association with other cancer, and chronic inflammation, is considered the predominant etiological factor for MCPyV-negative (MCPyV-) MCCs.
In line with this distinction, it has been reported that MCPyV+ and MCPyV¿ MCCs are characterized by different clinical and molecular features including the ability to express microRNAs (miRNAs). In this manner, MCPyV+ and MCPyV- MCCs can create their own miRNAs molecular profile. miRNAs are small single-stranded non-coding RNAs of 18-25 nucleotides implicated in various human diseases such as skin cancers, including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma influencing post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression, tumor initiation, development progression, and aggressiveness.
Although the involvement of miRNAs in pathological processes has made them to be recognized as future biomarkers with diagnostic and/or prognostic potential, the expression of miRNAs and their biological relevance in MCC remains to be explored in depth. In order to set out to close this knowledge gap and define the microRNAs involved in MCC biology, the present project aims to study the expression of miRNAs in MCC tumors. Further purposes will be to compare the miRNA profiles with respect to MCPyV status (MCPyV - or MCPyV + MCCs), to find distinctions in miRNA expression and validate their role as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis, progression, prognosis, and therapeutic targets of MCCs.