Expression profiles and regulatory crosstalk of lncRNA HOTAIR and miR-29b-3p across breast cancer subtypes: Implications for tumor progression and therapy resistance

Abstract

Objectives: This study explores the interaction between HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) and miR-29b-3p across three different breast cancer subtypes, aiming to identify new potential therapeutic targets.

Materials and methods: Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the expression levels of HOTAIR and miR-29b-3p in three breast cancer cell lines: MCF-7 (estrogen receptor-positive: ER⁺ ), MDA-MB-453 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive: HER2+), and MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative breast cancer: TNBC). MCF-10A cells were used as the normal control. GAPDH and U6 served as housekeeping genes. Gene expression was calculated using the 2-∆∆Ct method, with statistical significance defined as p<0.05.

Results: In MCF-7 cells, both HOTAIR (0.48-fold) and miR-29b-3p (0.18-fold) were significantly downregulated (p<0.05). In MDA-MB-231 cells, HOTAIR expression was moderately reduced (0.82-fold), while miR-29b-3p was increased (1.87-fold), although not statistically significant (p>0.05). In HER2+ MDA-MB-453 cells, HOTAIR was slightly elevated (1.06-fold) and miR-29b-3p modestly decreased (0.96-fold), also without statistical significance. These findings highlight subtype-specific differences in the HOTAIR/miR-29b-3p axis.

Conclusion: Our study reveals differential regulation of the HOTAIR/miR-29b-3p axis across breast cancer subtypes, suggesting its potential role in shaping tumor progression and therapy resistance. Findings reveal variable regulation of the HOTAIR/miR-29b-3p axis in breast cancer, highlighting its potential for biomarker and targeted therapy development in TNBC. Further validation with clinical datasets is recommended.

Cite this article as: Alagöz Ş, Kök ŞD. Expression profiles and regulatory crosstalk of lncRNA HOTAIR and miR-29b-3p across breast cancer subtypes: implications for tumor progression and therapy resistance. D J Med Sci 2025;11(2):83-87. doi: 10.5606/fng.btd.2025.189.

Idea/concept, design, control/supervision, data collection and/or processing, analysis and/or interpretation, literature review, writing the article, references and fundings, materials Ş.A., Ş.D.K., critical review Ş.A.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

The presented study was funded by the Research Fund of Demiroglu Bilim University, Project No. 2024/03.

Data Sharing Statement:
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

The authors sincerely thank Ezgi Nurdan Yenilmez Tunoğlu for her valuable guidance throughout this study. Her insightful discussions, constructive suggestions, and ongoing support have been essential to the development of this work.