Chen Wei-Xian, Hu Qing, Qiu Man-Tang, Zhong Shan-Liang, Xu Jin-Jin, Tang Jin-Hai, Zhao Jian-Hua
Fourth Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Tumour Biol. 2013 Jun;34(3):1361-70. doi: 10.1007/s13277-013-0750-y. Epub 2013 Mar 27.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs of 19-25 nt that can regulate gene expression at a posttranscriptional level. Increasing evidence indicates that miRNAs participate in almost every step of cellular processes and are often aberrantly expressed in human cancer. miR-221 and miR-222 are two highly homologous miRNAs that always act as a gene cluster (miR-221/222) in cellular regulation and have extensively been studied in cancer network. Here, we review the role of miR-221/222 in breast cancer (BCa) development and progression: regulating proliferative signaling pathways, altering telomere and telomerase activity, avoiding cell death from tumor suppressors, autophagy and apoptosis, monitoring angiogenesis, supporting epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and even controlling cell-specific function within microenvironment. We consider that miR-221/222 act as promising biomarkers for BCa and they would offer a new way in molecular targeting cancer treatment.
微小RNA（miRNA）是一类长度为19 - 25个核苷酸的小型非编码RNA，可在转录后水平调控基因表达。越来越多的证据表明，miRNA参与细胞过程的几乎每一个步骤，且在人类癌症中常常异常表达。miR - 221和miR - 222是两个高度同源的miRNA，在细胞调控中总是作为一个基因簇（miR - 221/222）发挥作用，并且在癌症网络中已得到广泛研究。在此，我们综述miR - 221/222在乳腺癌（BCa）发生和进展中的作用：调控增殖信号通路、改变端粒和端粒酶活性、避免肿瘤抑制因子引起的细胞死亡、自噬和凋亡、监测血管生成、支持上皮 - 间质转化，甚至控制微环境中的细胞特异性功能。我们认为，miR - 221/222有望成为BCa的生物标志物，它们将为分子靶向癌症治疗提供新途径。
