Jiang Hesong, Zhang Guang, Wu Jun-Hua, Jiang Chun-Ping
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, P.R. China.
Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, P.R. China.
Oncol Rep. 2014 Apr;31(4):1509-16. doi: 10.3892/or.2014.3036. Epub 2014 Feb 20.
microRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs which have the capacity to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, and have emerging as key factors involved in cancer at all stages ranging from initiation to metastasis. In the present review, we summmarize the diverse roles of the microRNA-29 (miR-29) family in cancer. First, we present a concise introduction to the miR-29 family and the expression profile of miR-29 in various cancer types. We next highlight the upstream regulatory pathway of miR-29 and describe the relationship between miR-29 and cancer in detail. As a tumor suppressor, miR-29 restrains cancer progression by promoting tumor cell apoptosis, by suppressing DNA methylation of tumor-suppressor genes, by reducing proliferation of tumors and by increasing chemosensitivity. However, as a tumor promoter, miR-29 mediates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and promotes metastasis in breast cancer and colon cancer. Finally, we suggest that miR-29 represents a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker or a therapeutic target for cancer. Our review highlights the diverse relationship between miR-29 and cancer (particularly digestive system neoplasms). Further research of miR-29 in cancer is warranted.
微小RNA（miRNA）是一类非编码RNA，能够在转录后水平调控基因表达，并且已成为从肿瘤发生到转移各个阶段癌症的关键影响因素。在本综述中，我们总结了微小RNA-29（miR-29）家族在癌症中的多种作用。首先，我们简要介绍了miR-29家族以及miR-29在各种癌症类型中的表达谱。接下来，我们重点阐述了miR-29的上游调控途径，并详细描述了miR-29与癌症之间的关系。作为一种肿瘤抑制因子，miR-29通过促进肿瘤细胞凋亡、抑制肿瘤抑制基因的DNA甲基化、减少肿瘤增殖以及提高化疗敏感性来抑制癌症进展。然而，作为一种肿瘤促进因子，miR-29介导上皮-间质转化（EMT），并促进乳腺癌和结肠癌的转移。最后，我们认为miR-29是一种新型的癌症诊断和预后生物标志物或治疗靶点。我们的综述强调了miR-29与癌症（尤其是消化系统肿瘤）之间的多种关系。有必要对miR-29在癌症中的作用进行进一步研究。
