Evaluation of the Diagnostic and Prognostic Potential, and Correlation with the Tumor Immune Microenvironment of a Six-miRNA Signature Associated with Platinum Sensitivity in Patients with Early-Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Background/objectives

Platinum-based chemotherapy remains a standard-of-care treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet its efficacy is influenced by multiple factors, such as the functionality of DNA damage response pathways. DNA-damaging agents, like cisplatin, contribute to the generation of an "inflamed" tumor microenvironment (TME), which in turn correlates with an active antitumor immune response. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a family of small, non-coding RNAs, have emerged as critical post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, playing vital roles in modulating DNA Damage Repair (DDR) pathways and sensitivity to cisplatin. Their functional involvement in these mechanisms underscores their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in lung cancer.