Expression of microRNAs: potential molecular link between obesity, diabetes and cancer

Abstract

Clinicians are routinely challenged in their management of cancer patients because of the complexities of obesity and diabetes that are often found as comorbid conditions. Although attention has been given to optimizing treatment planning for these patients, less attention has been given to manage their obesity and diabetes. This suggests that newer, comprehensive approaches must be developed for the treatment of cancer patients as a 'whole' rather than as a single disease. While the specific pathologies of each are unique, years of research have indicated intimate molecular links between these chronic diseases. The contribution of sedentary lifestyles and poor dietary habits is recognized; however, the precise molecular links are still not well-explored. In addition, emerging evidence suggests the important role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the development and progression of several diseases, yet their roles in linking obesity, diabetes and cancer are only now beginning to be recognized. It is hoped that miRNAs will serve as novel biomarkers and molecular targets for cancer therapy in patients with comorbid conditions. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the pathobiology of obesity, diabetes and cancer, and document molecular roles of miRNAs linking cancer with obesity and diabetes.

Leptin and insulin up-regulate miR-4443 to suppress NCOA1 and TRAF4, and decrease the invasiveness of human colon cancer cells

“…Interestingly, a number of miRNAs that are associated with obesity have also been implicated in carcinogenesis, and deregulated expression of miRNAs may represent a molecular link between obesity and cancer [23]. Here, we show that a specific miRNA, miR-4443, responds to leptin and insulin treatment in CRC-derived cells and that its impaired regulation may contribute to deregulation of downstream signaling, increased cancer metastasis and worse prognosis in a state of leptin resistance.…”

Mitochondria and Oxidative Stress in the Cardiorenal Metabolic Syndrome

“…miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs (approx. 22 nucleotides) that modulate mRNA stability and repress post-transcriptional translation by binding to target recognition sequences predominantly located within the 3 untranslated regions of target mRNAs [159][160][161][162] . The 'seed sequence' that spans bases 2-8 of the 5 portion of mature miRNAs essentially dictates what target mRNAs would be regulated by a given miRNA.…”

Network-based ranking methods for prediction of novel disease associated microRNAs

“…Many studies have shown role of miRNAs in both common [13][14][15][16][17] and rare diseases [18]. For instance, miRNAs have been related to metabolic diseases [19], obesity, diabetes and cancer [20]. In particular, functional relevance of miRNA sequences in human disease is also studied [21].…”