A key challenge for the improvement of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC)
management could derive from a deeper characterization of the biology of these neoplasms that
could greatly improve the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment choice. The aim of this study was to
identify specific miRNAs that are deregulated in tumor vs. normal kidney tissues and that could
impact on the biology of ccRCC. To this end we selected four miRNAs (miR-21-5p, miR-210-3p,
miR-185-5p and miR-221-3p) and their expression has been evaluated in a retrospective cohort of
formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues from 20 ccRCC patients who underwent surgical
nephrectomy resection. miR-21-5p and miR-210-3p resulted the most significantly up-regulated
miRNAs in this patient cohort, highlighting these onco-miRNAs as possible relevant players
involved in ccRCC tumorigenesis. Thus, this study reports the identification of specific oncogenic
miRNAs that are altered in ccRCC tissues and suggests that they might be useful biomarkers in
ccRCC management
