Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Alabama Mobile, USA.
Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2013 Nov;34(11):1374-80. doi: 10.1038/aps.2013.134. Epub 2013 Oct 14.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules, whose primary function is to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional/translational levels. MiRNAs play crucial roles in normal biological processes and are commonly dys-regulated in human diseases. Stem cells are regarded as the "mother" cells of all types of differentiated cells that comprise tissues and organs of the body. A novel hypothesis proposes that tumors are composed of heterogeneous cells derived from cancer stem cells, which have self-renewal and differentiation capabilities similar to those of normal stem cells. Cancer stem cells have been isolated and characterized from various tumors. Given recent studies supporting the critical regulatory roles of miRNAs in the self-renewal and differentiation of cancer stem cells, better understanding the functions of miRNAs will provide invaluable insights into the prevention of tumorigenesis and tumor progression. In this review, we will summarize the research progress in the study of miRNAs involved in the self-renewal and differentiation of cancer stem cells.
微小 RNA（miRNAs）是一类小的非编码 RNA 分子，其主要功能是在转录后/翻译水平上调节基因表达。miRNAs 在正常的生物学过程中发挥着关键作用，并且在人类疾病中通常失调。干细胞被认为是身体组织和器官中所有类型分化细胞的“母”细胞。一个新的假说提出，肿瘤由源自癌症干细胞的异质细胞组成，这些细胞具有类似于正常干细胞的自我更新和分化能力。已经从各种肿瘤中分离和鉴定出癌症干细胞。鉴于最近的研究支持 miRNAs 在癌症干细胞的自我更新和分化中的关键调节作用，更好地理解 miRNAs 的功能将为预防肿瘤发生和肿瘤进展提供宝贵的见解。在这篇综述中，我们将总结 miRNA 在癌症干细胞自我更新和分化中的作用的研究进展。
