Could MicroRNAs Be Useful Tools to Improve the Diagnosis and Treatment of Rare Gynecological Cancers? A Brief Overview

Abstract

Gynecological cancers pose an important public health issue, with a high incidence among women of all ages. Gynecological cancers such as malignant germ-cell tumors, sex-cord-stromal tumors, uterine sarcomas and carcinosarcomas, gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, vulvar carcinoma and melanoma of the female genital tract, are defined as rare with an annual incidence of <6 per 100,000 women. Rare gynecological cancers (RGCs) are associated with poor prognosis, and given the low incidence of each entity, there is the risk of delayed diagnosis due to clinical inexperience and limited therapeutic options. There has been a growing interest in the field of microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs of ∼22 nucleotides in length, because of their potential to regulate diverse biological processes. miRNAs usually induce mRNA degradation and translational repression by interacting with the 3′ untranslated region (3′-UTR) of target mRNAs, as well as other regions and gene promoters, as well as activating translation or regulating transcription under certain conditions. Recent research has revealed the enormous promise of miRNAs for improving the diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of all major gynecological cancers. However, to date, only a few studies have been performed on RGCs. In this review, we summarize the data currently available regarding RGCs.

Extraterrestrial Gynecology: Could Spaceflight Increase the Risk of Developing Cancer in Female Astronauts? An Updated Review

“…Gynecological cancers (GCs) arise in the female reproductive organs and include tuboovarian, uterine/endometrial, cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers [92]. GCs pose a serious global health burden due to their high incidence among women of all ages [93]. There is a high mortality rate among women with GCs, which can be attributed to several factors including lack of screening, limited awareness of specific symptoms, or even misdiagnosis.…”

Human Papillomaviruses-Associated Cancers: An Update of Current Knowledge

“…Despite the vast progress in the field of miRNAs as cancer biomarkers, the translation of results to a clinical setting is still challenging and usually lacks reproducibility [202]. However, research is still ongoing, and numerous miRNA molecules are investigated for their biomarker potential in many cancer types, including common and rare gynaecological [202,203], head and neck [204], gastrointestinal [205,206], and lung cancer [207]. Herein, the current knowledge regarding miRNAs as biomarkers for CC, which is the most associated with HPV, is summarized, and additional information for HNCs are provided.…”

ncRNAs in Therapeutics: Challenges and Limitations in Nucleic Acid-Based Drug Delivery

“…The authors pointed out that one of the major challenges for the potential application of ncRNAs in clinical practice is the few sequence similarities among species so that findings observed in animal models may not be directly transferable to humans. Finally, Riccardo Di Fiore et al [4] reviewing miRNAs deregulated in rare gynecological cancers, proposed several over-expressed oncomiRs (miR-9, miR-10a, miR-21, miR-590-5p, miR-3147 and miR-4712), and some downregulated tumor suppressors (miR-34, miR-126, miR-196b), as potential targets for restoring or silencing key functions with therapeutic potential. These authors included information about GYNOCARE (European Network for Gynecological Rare Cancer Research) for the dissemination of recent medical and technological advances for clinicians and patients, with the aim of enabling access to possible participation in clinical trials.…”

“…However, barriers to the translation of ncRNA-based therapies to the clinic are related to: (i) the specificity of the targets involved in the main pathways and contributing to disease development or progression, (ii) the local delivery of the molecules at the subcellular level, and (iii) their stability. In this special issue devoted to the potential use of "ncRNA in therapeutics", we have compiled a series of articles about ncRNAs differentially expressed in cardiovascular diseases [1], in bone metabolism-related disorders [2], in epilepsy [3], and in oncology [4], that contribute to disease development or progression and have the potential to be used as biomarkers or targets for therapeutic development. Several clinical trials using various strategies have confirmed the success of ncRNA-based therapies [5].…”