The role of microRNAs in human cancer

✍ Scribed by Harald zur Hausen

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 16 KB
• Volume: 122
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7136
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.23348

✦ Synopsis

The role of microRNAs in human cancer

Non-coding RNAs have recently been identified as important regulatory elements in mammalian and non-mammalian cells. In human cells, the number of microRNAs has been expected to exceed the one thousand mark. In cancer research, the interest in this class of small RNA molecules is particularly pronounced. This originates from aberrant expression patterns of specific microRNAs in various forms of human cancers as well as from proposals that specific microRNAs contribute to oncogenesis by either fulfilling tumorsuppressor functions or acting themselves as oncogenic factors. The expression profiles of microRNAs seem to vary in different types of presently analyzed human cancers, although characteristic patterns have been established for specific types of carcinomas.

Besides their role in basic mechanisms leading to oncogenesis, they already start to play an increasing role in the diagnosis, prognosis and response to treatment of cancer patients. It is somewhat likely that their role will be extended in the future to therapeutic approaches, in particular to the identification of new therapeutic targets.