Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2010 Aug;42(8):1273-81. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2009.12.014. Epub 2009 Dec 22.
MicroRNAs have a revolutionary impact on cancer research over recent years. They emerge as important players in tumorigenesis, leading to a paradigm shift in oncology. The widespread and comprehensive use of microRNA microarrays has enabled the identification of a number of microRNAs as potential biomarkers for cancer. It is encouraging to report that microRNAs have remarkable stability in both formalin-fixed tissue and blood. Many microRNAs have been identified to act as oncogenes, tumor suppressors, or even modulators of cancer stem cells and metastasis. Some studies not only reported the identified microRNA biomarkers, but also deciphered their target genes and the underlying mechanisms. The rapid discovery of many microRNA targets and their relevant pathways has contributed to the development of microRNA-based therapeutics, but the developing progress of antisense or siRNA drugs has been hampered by stability, specificity and delivery problems. This review summarizes the most significant and latest findings of original researches on microRNAs involvement in cancer, focusing on the potential of cancer-related microRNAs as biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and targets for therapy.
近年来， microRNAs 对癌症研究产生了革命性的影响。它们作为肿瘤发生过程中的重要参与者出现，导致肿瘤学领域的范式转变。 microRNA 微阵列的广泛和全面应用已经确定了许多 microRNAs 作为癌症的潜在生物标志物。值得鼓舞的是， microRNAs 在福尔马林固定组织和血液中都具有显著的稳定性。已经确定许多 microRNAs 作为癌基因、肿瘤抑制因子，甚至是癌症干细胞和转移的调节剂。一些研究不仅报道了鉴定的 microRNA 生物标志物，还破译了它们的靶基因和潜在机制。许多 microRNA 靶标及其相关途径的快速发现促进了基于 microRNA 的治疗方法的发展，但反义或 siRNA 药物的发展进展受到稳定性、特异性和递送问题的阻碍。本综述总结了 microRNAs 参与癌症的原始研究中最重要和最新的发现，重点关注与癌症相关的 microRNAs 作为诊断、预后和治疗靶点的潜力。
