In silico analysis of the association of hsa-miR-16 expression and cell survival in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells subjected to photodynamic therapy

[Display omitted] •There was a differential profile of miRNAs between parental MDA-MB-231 cells and those surviving photodynamic therapy (PDT).•Hsa-miR-16 expression was lower in surviving cells to PDT.•Hsa-miR-16 downstream targets, predicted in silico, are related to the cell cycle, proliferation and apoptosis.•The alteration of these cell processes probably represents survival mechanisms of breast cancer cells subjected to PDT. Breast cancer is the most common malignancy effecting women, and the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype is particularly aggressive. This study aimed to evaluate the differential expression pattern of microRNAs (miRNAs) between untreated MDA-MB-231 cells (TNBC cell model) and those that survived photodynamic therapy (PDT) to gain insights into cell survival mechanisms. Two PDT cycles were applied to MDA-MB-231 cells, using δ‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA) followed by laser light at 635 nm. RNA was obtained from cells surviving PDT and untreated cells. The miRNAs expression profile was analyzed to detect the differences between the two groups. The potential target network of hsa-miR-16 was examined in silico with the integrative database Ingenuity® Pathway Analysis software. After the first and second PDT cycles, 17.8% and 49.6% of the MDA-MB-231 cells were viable. Microarray profiling of miRNAs showed decreased hsa-miR-16 expression (p