Phd in GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Thesis title: MicroRNA-Based Therapeutics: Advancing Treatment Strategies for Melanoma

Melanoma is an aggressive skin cancer characterized by high metastatic potential and resistance to conventional therapies, highlighting the urgent need for innovative therapeutic approaches. This research addresses two main strategies: the exploration of endogenous microRNAs (miRNAs) as targeted therapeutic agents and the development of synthetic microRNAs (S-miRs) to combat and prevent resistance to targeted therapies in melanoma. In vitro studies confirmed the therapeutic potential of both endogenous and synthetic miRNAs, demonstrating their ability to significantly reduce cell viability and proliferation in melanoma cells, including those resistant to standard targeted therapies. Additionally, these miRNAs modulated gene expression in selected oncogenic pathways, underscoring their role as tumor suppressors. Our analyses suggest that these miRNAs effectively target melanoma-associated pathways, thereby offering promise for more personalized and adaptive melanoma treatment strategies. These findings establish endogenous and synthetic miRNAs as promising agents in the fight against melanoma, laying the groundwork for potential clinical applications and the advancement of RNA-based personalized melanoma therapies.