Prostate cancer (PC) and colon cancer significantly contribute to global cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Thymoquinone (TQ), a naturally occurring phytochemical found in black cumin, has shown potential as an anticancer compound. This study aimed to investigate the effects of TQ on the expression profile of key tumor suppressor and onco-suppressor miRNAs in PC3 prostate cancer cells and HCT-15 colon cancer cells. Cell viability assays revealed that TQ inhibited the growth of both cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, with IC⁵⁰ values of approximately 82.59 μM for HCT-15 and 55.83 μM for PC3 cells. Following TQ treatment at the IC⁵⁰ concentrations, miRNA expression analysis demonstrated that TQ significantly downregulated miR-21-5p expression in HCT-15 cells and upregulated miR-34a-5p, miR-221-5p, miR-17-5p, and miR-21-5p expression in PC3 cells. However, no significant changes were observed in the expression levels of miR-34a-5p and miR-200a-5p in HCT-15 cells. The current findings suggest that TQ might exert its antiproliferative effects by modulating specific tumor suppressor and onco-suppressor miRNAs in prostate and colon cancer cells. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the precise underlying mechanisms and to explore the therapeutic potential of TQ in cancer treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report regarding the effect of TQ on the miRNA expression profile in colon and prostate cancer cell lines.

Breast cancer (BC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) is increasingly being used to reduce tumor burden prior to surgical resection. However, current techniques for assessing tumor response have significant limitations. Additionally, drug resistance is commonly observed, raising a need to identify biomarkers that can predict treatment sensitivity and survival outcomes. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and have been shown to play a significant role in cancer progression as tumor inducers or suppressors. The expression of circulating miRNAs has been found to be significantly altered in breast cancer patients. Moreover, recent studies have suggested that circulating miRNAs can serve as non-invasive biomarkers for predicting response to NAT. Therefore, this review provides a brief overview of recent studies that have demonstrated the potential of circulating miRNAs as biomarkers for predicting the clinical response to NAT in BC patients. The findings of this review will strengthen future research on developing miRNA-based biomarkers and their translation into medical practice, which could significantly improve the clinical management of BC patients undergoing NAT.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous non-coding RNA molecules capable of regulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level either by translational inhibition or mRNA degradation and have recently been importantly related to the diagnosis and prognosis of the most relevant endocrine disorders. The endocrine system comprises various highly vascularized ductless organs regulating metabolism, growth and development, and sexual function. Endocrine disorders constitute the fifth principal cause of death worldwide, and they are considered a significant public health problem due to their long-term effects and negative impact on the patient’s quality of life. Over the last few years, miRNAs have been discovered to regulate various biological processes associated with endocrine disorders, which could be advantageous in developing new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. The present review aims to provide an overview of the most recent and significant information regarding the regulatory mechanism of miRNAs during the development of the most relevant endocrine disorders, including diabetes mellitus, thyroid diseases, osteoporosis, pituitary tumors, Cushing’s syndrome, adrenal insufficiency and multiple endocrine neoplasia, and their potential implications as disease biomarkers.