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According to reports published, the aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of 19–25 nucleotide-long small non-coding RNAs, is responsible for human cancers, including nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). The dysregulation of miRNAs that act either as a tumor suppressor or oncogene, leading to a wide range of NPC pathogenesis pathways, includes the proliferation, invasion, migration as well as the metastasis of NPC cells. This article reviews and highlights recent advances in the studies of miRNAs in NPC, with a specific demonstration of the functions of miRNA, especially circulating miRNAs, in the pathway of NPC pathogenesis. Additionally, the possible use of miRNAs as early screening and prognostic biomarkers and for therapeutic molecular monitoring has been extensively studied.

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An entomopathogenic fungus newly named Ophiocordyceps langbianensis was collected from Lang Biang Biosphere Reserve, located in Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. It is characterized as a species of Ophiocordyceps (Ophiocordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) having the unique characteristics of a cylindrical fertile part and several branched apical appendices. Each ascospore develops as two swollen, constricted part-spores. A phylogenetic analysis of multiple genes, including nrLSU, nrSSU, Rpb1, ITS and Tef, supported its systematic position in the genus of Ophiocordyceps; it is related to O. brunneipunctata. Based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses, O. langbianensis was confirmed as a new species from Vietnam.

Novel biomarkers for screening, diagnosis and monitoring the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), one of the most common cancers in Vietnam, are urgently required. Increasing evidence suggests that microRNA-141 (miR-141) is associated with NPC, owing to its ability to affect the expression of genes that modulate tumorigenesis. Unfortunately, research on miR-141 expression in Vietnamese patients is limited. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to evaluate miR-141 expression and assess whether miR-141 might be a potential biomarker for diagnosis of NPC in Vietnamese patients. Total RNA isolated from 40 NPC biopsy samples and 37 non-cancerous samples was analyzed by quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. The miR-141 expression levels were compared between NPC biopsy and non-cancerous samples. The frequency of miR-141 detection was 37.50% and 10.80% in the NPC and non-cancerous samples, respectively (p = 0.0143). The miR-141 expression was 5.27 times higher in tumor samples than non-cancerous samples. Additionally, the RR (Relative risk) and OR (Odds ratio) were 1.83 (95%CI = 1.2576-2.6675, p = 0.0016) and 4.95 (95%CI = 1.4625-16.7541, p = 0.01), respectively. In conclusion, miR-141 was up-regulated in the biopsy samples and thus may be a potential biomarker for NPC in the Vietnamese population.

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Cancer development is a complex process with multiple steps. Many factors, including radiation, chemicals, viruses, genetic and epigenetic changes, lead to abnormal proliferation of a single cell, which results in the outgrowth of a population of clonal-derived tumour cells. It has established that DNA hypermethylation, an epigenetic mechanism that occurred by the addition of a methyl group at 5′ position of the pyrimidine ring of cytosine residues at CpG islands through the action of DNA methyltransferase enzymes, has been considered as the cause of human tumorigenesis, including breast cancer development. Moreover, DNA hypermethylation holds a promising application as a potential biomarker for the early detection, prognosis and prediction of drug sensitivity in cancer. Therefore, this chapter focuses on the description and exempliication of the DNA hypermethylation changes, particularly, highlight the DNA hypermethylation as a potential biomarker applied in predictive, diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic monitoring of breast cancer.