Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-4258, USA.
Semin Oncol. 2011 Dec;38(6):734-42. doi: 10.1053/j.seminoncol.2011.08.009.
MicroRNAs are being evaluated as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for colon cancer. MicroRNAs have a functional role in the initiation and progression of colon cancer. Altered microRNA expression is found in tumors and their expression patterns may serve as useful cancer biomarkers. Polymorphisms in microRNAs or microRNA binding sites may modify the risk of developing cancer. As we continue to improve our understanding of the role for microRNAs in the initiation and progression of cancer, one goal is to gain insights that will allow for the development of microRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer. This review provides a current understanding of the connection between microRNAs and colon cancer. We will cover evidence that global microRNA expression patterns are altered in colon tumors, that specific microRNAs have a functional role in colon carcinogenesis, that polymorphisms in microRNAs may be associated with risk of colon cancer, and the potential for using circulating microRNAs as a noninvasive biomarker for the detection of cancer.
MicroRNAs 正在被评估为结肠癌的生物标志物和治疗靶点。MicroRNAs 在结肠癌的发生和发展中具有功能作用。在肿瘤及其表达模式中发现了改变的 microRNA 表达,可能作为有用的癌症生物标志物。microRNAs 或 microRNA 结合位点的多态性可能会改变患癌症的风险。随着我们对 microRNAs 在癌症发生和发展中的作用的理解不断提高,一个目标是获得洞察力,使 microRNAs 能够成为癌症的生物标志物和治疗靶点。这篇综述提供了 microRNAs 与结肠癌之间联系的最新认识。我们将涵盖以下方面的证据:在结肠肿瘤中改变了全局 microRNA 表达模式,特定的 microRNAs 在结肠癌变中具有功能作用,microRNAs 中的多态性可能与结肠癌的风险相关,以及将循环 microRNAs 用作癌症检测的非侵入性生物标志物的潜力。