Therapeutics: MicroRNA-708 (miR-708)

In vitro, mouse and patient sample studies suggest increasing miR-708 expression with glucocorticoids could help prevent ovarian cancer metastasis. In invasive ovarian cancer cell lines, vector-induced expression of a miR-708 precursor decreased migration and invasiveness compared with expression of scrambled control miRNA. In a mouse xenograft model of metastatic ovarian cancer, increasing miR-708 expression directly, or by injection of dexamethasone, decreased metastatic burden compared with a control vector or saline. In 82 samples from ovarian cancer patients, high miR-708 expression correlated with increased overall survival and relapse-free survival rates. Next steps include studying glucocorticoids in patients with ovarian cancer...