Strubberg Ashlee M, Madison Blair B
Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
Dis Model Mech. 2017 Mar 1;10(3):197-214. doi: 10.1242/dmm.027441.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small single-stranded RNAs that repress mRNA translation and trigger mRNA degradation. Of the ∼1900 miRNA-encoding genes present in the human genome, ∼250 miRNAs are reported to have changes in abundance or altered functions in colorectal cancer. Thousands of studies have documented aberrant miRNA levels in colorectal cancer, with some miRNAs reported to actively regulate tumorigenesis. A recurrent phenomenon with miRNAs is their frequent participation in feedback loops, which probably serve to reinforce or magnify biological outcomes to manifest a particular cellular phenotype. Here, we review the roles of oncogenic miRNAs (oncomiRs), tumor suppressive miRNAs (anti-oncomiRs) and miRNA regulators in colorectal cancer. Given their stability in patient-derived samples and ease of detection with standard and novel techniques, we also discuss the potential use of miRNAs as biomarkers in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer and as prognostic indicators of this disease. MiRNAs also represent attractive candidates for targeted therapies because their function can be manipulated through the use of synthetic antagonists and miRNA mimics.
微小RNA（miRNA）是一类小的单链RNA，可抑制mRNA翻译并引发mRNA降解。在人类基因组中存在的约1900个编码miRNA的基因中，据报道约250个miRNA在结直肠癌中丰度发生变化或功能改变。数千项研究记录了结直肠癌中异常的miRNA水平，一些miRNA据报道可积极调节肿瘤发生。miRNA的一个反复出现的现象是它们频繁参与反馈回路，这可能有助于加强或放大生物学结果以表现出特定的细胞表型。在这里，我们综述了致癌性miRNA（癌miRNA）、肿瘤抑制性miRNA（抗癌miRNA）和miRNA调节因子在结直肠癌中的作用。鉴于它们在患者来源样本中的稳定性以及使用标准和新技术易于检测，我们还讨论了miRNA作为结直肠癌诊断生物标志物和该疾病预后指标的潜在用途。miRNA也是靶向治疗的有吸引力的候选者，因为它们的功能可以通过使用合成拮抗剂和miRNA模拟物来操纵。
