MicroRNAs and other small silencing RNAs in cancer

Abstract

SummarySmall noncoding RNAs are key controllers of cellular function, and their deregulation can lead to cancer development and metastatic evolution. This review summarizes the most important examples of small RNAs involved in human cancer and discusses their clinical use as biomarkers and drug targets for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. We also describe the possible mechanisms underlying small RNA-mediated transformation and outline the future describing new small RNA families with great potential in cancer biology.

microRNA-340 as a modulator of RAS–RAF–MAPK signaling in melanoma

“…Although, our findings support previous research regarding tumor suppressor and oncogenic activities of miRNAs in cancer, our data also highlight the mechanism by which one miRNA acts as a tumor suppressor by exhibiting pleiotropic effects on multiple components of the RAS-RAF-MAPK signal transduction pathway in melanoma [7–9]. Future studies on the identification of additional miRNA regulatory networks in melanoma will provide greater understanding of melanoma biology and will present further avenues for therapeutic interventions to improve the prognosis of metastatic melanoma.…”

“…Predictive algorithms suggest each miRNA regulates many targets, estimating approximately 60% of all human mRNAs are subject to miRNA-dependent regulation [5, 6]. Increasing evidence demonstrates miRNAs are critically involved in cancer biology, playing both tumor suppressor and oncogenic roles [7–9]. Although a significant body of evidence points to the importance of miRNA-dependent regulation in biology, the function of each individual miRNA remains to be elucidated, particularly as it pertains to the development and progression of human cancers.…”

MicroRNAs activate natural killer cells through Toll-like receptor signaling

“…5 miRNAs play essential and pleiotropic roles in both physiologic and disease processes, including normal cell development as well as malignant transformation and metastasis. 6,7 More recent evidence shows that miRNAs reside and circulate in the blood and other body fluids of both healthy donors and patients with diseases including cancer. 8 These miRNAs, which are detectable in serum and plasma, can serve as potential markers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and even targets for treatment.…”

Global dysregulation of the chromosome 14q32 imprinted region in uterine carcinosarcoma

“…miRNAs are small (21 to 23 nt) regulatory RNAs whose known role in oncogenesis and cancer progression is rapidly expanding (12,13). We determined the expression of 667 miRNAs in a panel of eight UCS tissue samples and compared the expression patterns with a panel of five benign endometrium, four endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma and four endometrial serous adenocarcinoma tissue samples.…”