Serum miR-424-3p emerges as a prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer

Researchers report that a small RNA molecule circulating in blood, miR-424-3p, may serve as a non-invasive prognostic marker for colorectal cancer, according to a study published in Discover Oncology on 29 October 2026.

The study, led by Lili Gao, Yunfei Si and Yun Wang, collected serum and tissue samples from colorectal cancer patients in a discovery cohort of 80 patients and an independent validation cohort of 64 patients. The team quantified candidate microRNA expression using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

The analysis showed that serum miR-424-3p levels were elevated in colorectal cancer patients with poor prognosis. High expression of the molecule correlated with adverse clinicopathological features, including depth of invasion of at least one half, TNM stage III, lymph node metastasis and poor differentiation.

Using multivariate Cox regression, the researchers identified miR-424-3p as an independent risk factor affecting progression-free survival. Patients with higher levels of the molecule exhibited a significantly shorter three-year progression-free survival rate, according to Kaplan-Meier analysis reported in the study.

Prognostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, and the team also built a prediction model combining miR-424-3p with two established clinical markers, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA199). The authors report that this multi-marker panel yielded excellent prognostic accuracy, describing it as a promising non-invasive tool for enhanced prognostic stratification in colorectal cancer patients.

Beyond its prognostic value, the study explored a possible mechanism of action. Integrative bioinformatics predicted target genes, and the team then conducted cellular assays assessing cell viability, migration, invasion and pyroptosis, a form of inflammatory programmed cell death.

According to the results, miR-424-3p may promote colorectal cancer malignancy by directly targeting Gasdermin E (GSDME), thereby suppressing GSDME-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and pyroptosis.

The study’s conclusion states that serum miR-424-3p serves as an independent prognostic predictor in colorectal cancer, mechanistically linked to the suppression of GSDME-mediated pyroptosis. The authors note that colorectal cancer has a poor prognosis, highlighting the need for reliable prognostic biomarkers, and that the stability of microRNAs in serum motivated the search for a robust blood-based marker.

As with any early-stage biomarker study, the findings are based on a limited number of patients in two cohorts, and the mechanistic conclusions rest partly on bioinformatic prediction and cellular assays rather than direct clinical testing.

Subject of Research: Serum microRNA miR-424-3p as a prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer

Article Title: Serum miR-424-3p is a promising prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer by targeting Gasdermin E

Article References: Gao, L., Si, Y., & Wang, Y. (2026). Serum miR-424-3p is a promising prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer by targeting Gasdermin E. Discover Oncology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-026-06180-w

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s12672-026-06180-w

Keywords: colorectal cancer, miR-424-3p, prognostic biomarker, Gasdermin E, pyroptosis, serum microRNA, progression-free survival, CEA, CA199, biomarker validation, Serum, promising