MicroRNAs in cancer treatment and prognosis

[摘要] Disturbances in microRNA expression by epigenetic alterations and mutations maypromote not only tumorigenesis but also tumor aggressiveness, invasion,metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Several studieshave profiled microRNA expression in normal and tumorigenic tissues,demonstrating a unique microRNA signature, which can be used as a marker forcancer diagnosis and prognosis. This review discusses the importance ofmicroRNAs as regulatory biomolecules involved in cancer, focusing on microRNAsrelated to cancer invasion, metastasis, epigenetic alterations, chemoresistance,and radioresistance. The identification of both differentially expressedmicroRNAs in tumors and their target genes provides new tools for gene therapy;the re-expression of microRNAs silenced by cancer development or the silencingof oncogenic microRNAs can be effective in the blockade of cancer-related cellproliferation.

[学科分类] 肿瘤学

[关键词] MicroRNA;epigenetic modifications;metastasis;chemotherapy;radiotherapy