What is miR-141-3p and what does it do in cancer?

miR-141-3p is a member of the miR-200 family and achieved the highest per-marker accuracy (97.3%) in the Yenos validation study. miR-200 family members normally act as suppressors of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) — the process by which stationary epithelial cells become mobile, invasive mesenchymal cells (a key step in cancer metastasis). In cancer, miR-141 is paradoxically overexpressed in specific contexts — particularly in prostate cancer, where it suppresses several anti-tumor genes including KEAP1 (an oxidative stress regulator) and promotes cancer cell survival. miR-141-3p overexpression in blood and urine is also strongly associated with metastatic prostate cancer. In colorectal cancer, elevated miR-141 correlates with advanced stage and poor prognosis. Its high per-marker accuracy makes it the most discriminating individual marker in the OncuraKit panel.