Study Finds Potential Biomarker for Predicting Skin Toxicity in EGFR Inhibitor Treatment
A recent study published in Oncotarget has revealed a potential biomarker for predicting skin rash in patients undergoing treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs). The research, led by Elena López-Camarillo and Marisela Vela-Tapia, suggests that certain microRNAs (miRNAs) in serum samples could serve as indicators of skin rash severity.
The study, titled 'Association between miRNA signatures in serum samples from epidermal growth factor inhibitor treated patients and skin rash', found a correlation between overall survival and the appearance of a skin rash, which was used as a biomarker for therapy efficacy. In patients treated with EGFR inhibiting monoclonal antibodies, miR-21 and miR-520e serum concentrations were negatively correlated with skin rash severity, while miR-31 showed a positive correlation. The authors searched for associations of miRNA expression profiles in serum with the severity of skin rash to identify potential therapy predictive biomarkers.
Dr. Julia Carolin Stingl from The University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen explained that EGFRI is used to treat various cancer types, including non-small-lung-cancer, head-and-neck-cancer, colon-rectal-cancer, and pancreas-cancer. The study reported that, on average, 70% of patients treated with EGFRIs suffer from skin rash. The study investigated different aspects of EGFRI-induced skin rash to better understand it and find predictive biomarkers. Notably, the study found that miRNAs associated with skin rash have not been extensively investigated in cancer patients, unlike miRNAs expressed in cancer cells or secreted into body fluids.
The study concludes that miR-21, miR-31, and miR-520e expression could serve as treatment-dependent markers for EGFRI-induced skin rash. However, the authors acknowledged the biggest limitation of the study is the lack of serum samples from patients before EGFRI treatment, making it difficult to determine if the effects are therapy-specific or general. Further research is needed to validate these findings and explore the potential of these miRNAs as predictive biomarkers for skin rash in cancer patients undergoing EGFRI treatment.
