Aguiari Gianluca
Department of Biomedical and Surgical Specialty Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Medical Genetics, University of Ferrara, Italy.
J Kidney Cancer VHL. 2015 Aug 23;2(4):140-152. doi: 10.15586/jkcvhl.2015.40. eCollection 2015.
MicroRNAs (miRs) are small noncoding RNAs that govern many biological processes. They frequently acquire a gain or a loss of function in cancer and hence play a causative role in the development and progression of neoplasms. They could be used as biomarkers to improve our knowledge on diagnosis, prognosis and drug resistance, and to attempt therapeutic approaches in several types of cancer including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). ccRCC is the most predominant subtype of RCC that accounts for about 90% of all renal cancers. Since ccRCC is generally asymptomatic until very late, it is difficult to diagnose early. Moreover, in the absence of preventive treatments for metastatic ccRCC after surgical resection of the primary cancer, predictive prognostic biomarkers are needed in order to achieve appropriate therapies. Herein the role of miRs in the biology of ccRCC and the potential applications of these molecules are discussed. Moreover, future applications in the diagnostic and prognostic field, as well as their impact on drug response and therapeutic targets are also explored. Their use in clinical practice as molecular biomarkers alone, or in combination with other biological markers could accelerate progress, help design personalized therapies, limit side effects, and improve quality of life of ccRCC patients.
微小RNA（miRs）是一类调控多种生物学过程的小非编码RNA。它们在癌症中常常获得功能的获得或丧失，因此在肿瘤的发生和发展中发挥着因果作用。它们可用作生物标志物，以增进我们对诊断、预后和耐药性的了解，并尝试针对包括透明细胞肾细胞癌（ccRCC）在内的多种癌症的治疗方法。ccRCC是肾细胞癌最主要的亚型，约占所有肾癌的90%。由于ccRCC通常直到很晚才出现症状，因此很难早期诊断。此外，在原发性癌症手术切除后，对于转移性ccRCC缺乏预防性治疗，因此需要预测性预后生物标志物以实现适当的治疗。本文讨论了miRs在ccRCC生物学中的作用以及这些分子的潜在应用。此外，还探讨了它们在诊断和预后领域的未来应用，以及它们对药物反应和治疗靶点的影响。它们单独作为分子生物标志物或与其他生物标志物联合用于临床实践，可加速进展，有助于设计个性化治疗方案，限制副作用，并改善ccRCC患者的生活质量。
