MicroRNA applications in human cancers

Abstract EN

Over the last decade, a family of noncoding RNA molecules, including microRNA (miRNA) has been discovered.

MiRNAs have been implicated as key regulators of different cellular processes many of which are associated with cancer.

They contribute to the pathogenesis of human cancers; in addition, they may function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in tumor development.

The unique expression profile of microRNAs in different types and subsets of tumor, besides to their possible identification in biological fluids indicate that they might serve as molecular biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of therapeutic responses.

However, they should achieve remarkable sensitivity and specificity, reproducibility and consistency between different studies.

Accumulating evidence suggests that alterations of miRNAs expression may ultimately yield new therapeutic strategies against cancer or at least guide clinical decision making.

The cur-rent review will give an overview on miRNAs, with a focus on their applications in human cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.