Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Mol Diagn Ther. 2010 Dec 1;14(6):335-42. doi: 10.1007/BF03256390.
Identification of people or populations at risk for developing cancer is a key to improved screening programs and earlier detection, with the hope of a commensurate reduction in cancer mortalities. Genetic alterations that change gene expression levels have long been investigated for association with development of cancer. Misregulation of genes through altered interactions is another potential mechanism of oncogenesis. Gene regulation by microRNAs (miRNAs) is a relatively new area of study, and a growing body of evidence suggests that alterations in this process may be associated with increased cancer risk. This can occur through alterations in miRNA levels, interactions with targets, or perhaps more complicated combinations of the two. Here we review the current data for association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNA binding sites and specific cancers. This growing body of literature suggests that these SNPs have a potential role as biomarkers for cancer risk.
鉴定有发展为癌症风险的人群是改善筛查计划和早期检测的关键，希望能相应降低癌症死亡率。长期以来，人们一直在研究改变基因表达水平的遗传改变与癌症发生的关联。通过改变相互作用来调节基因是另一种潜在的致癌机制。microRNAs（miRNAs）对基因的调控是一个相对较新的研究领域，越来越多的证据表明，该过程的改变可能与癌症风险的增加有关。这种情况可能通过 miRNA 水平的改变、与靶标的相互作用，或者两者更复杂的组合来发生。在这里，我们回顾了 miRNA 结合位点的单核苷酸多态性（SNPs）与特定癌症之间关联的现有数据。这一不断增长的文献表明，这些 SNPs 有可能作为癌症风险的生物标志物。
