Institute of Digestive Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Carcinogenesis. 2011 Mar;32(3):247-53. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgq243. Epub 2010 Nov 16.
Colon carcinogenesis represents a stepwise progression from benign polyps to invasive adenocarcinomas and distant metastasis. It is believed that these pathologic changes are contributed by aberrant activation or inactivation of protein-coding proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. However, recent discoveries in microRNA (miRNA) research have reshaped our understanding of the role of non-protein-coding genes in carcinogenesis. In this regard, a remarkable number of miRNAs exhibit differential expression in colon cancer tissues. These miRNAs alter cell proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis through their interactions with intracellular signaling networks. From a clinical perspective, polymorphisms within miRNA-binding sites are associated with the risk for colon cancer, whereas miRNAs isolated from feces or blood may serve as biomarkers for early diagnosis. Altered expression of miRNA or polymorphisms in miRNA-related genes have also been shown to correlate with patient survival or treatment outcome. With further insights into miRNA dysregulation in colon cancer and the advancement of RNA delivery technology, it is anticipated that novel miRNA-based therapeutics will emerge.
结直肠癌的发生是一个从良性息肉到侵袭性腺癌和远处转移的逐步发展过程。人们认为这些病理变化是由蛋白编码原癌基因和肿瘤抑制基因的异常激活或失活引起的。然而，microRNA（miRNA）研究的最新发现改变了我们对非蛋白编码基因在癌变中作用的认识。在这方面，大量的 miRNA 在结肠癌组织中表现出差异表达。这些 miRNA 通过与细胞内信号网络的相互作用来改变细胞增殖、凋亡和转移。从临床角度来看，miRNA 结合位点的多态性与结肠癌的风险相关，而从粪便或血液中分离出的 miRNA 则可能作为早期诊断的生物标志物。miRNA 表达的改变或 miRNA 相关基因的多态性也与患者的生存或治疗结果相关。随着对结肠癌中 miRNA 失调的进一步了解和 RNA 递送技术的进步，可以预期将出现新的 miRNA 为基础的治疗方法。
