Manasa V G, Kannan S
Laboratory of Cell Cycle Regulation and Molecular Oncology, Division of Cancer Research, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, India.
Tumour Biol. 2017 Mar;39(3):1010428317695920. doi: 10.1177/1010428317695920.
MicroRNAs are endogenous small noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at posttranscriptional level. The discovery of microRNAs has identified a new layer of gene regulation mechanisms, which play a pivotal role in development as well as in various cellular processes, such as proliferation, differentiation, cell growth, and cell death. Deregulated microRNA expression favors acquisition of cancer hallmark traits as well as transforms the tumor microenvironment, leading to tumor development and progression. Many recent studies have revealed altered expression of microRNAs in oral carcinoma with several microRNAs shown to have key biological role in tumorigenesis functioning either as tumor suppressors or as tumor promoters. MicroRNA expression levels correlate with clinicopathological variables and have a diagnostic and prognostic value in oral carcinoma. For these reasons, microRNA has been a hot topic in oral cancer research for the last few years. In this review, we attempt to summarize the present understanding of microRNA deregulation in oral carcinoma, their role in acquiring cancer hallmarks, and their potential diagnostic and prognostic value for oral cancer management.
微小RNA是内源性小非编码RNA，在转录后水平负调控基因表达。微小RNA的发现揭示了基因调控机制的新层面，其在发育以及各种细胞过程（如增殖、分化、细胞生长和细胞死亡）中发挥关键作用。微小RNA表达失调有利于获得癌症标志性特征，并改变肿瘤微环境，从而导致肿瘤发生和进展。最近的许多研究表明，口腔癌中微小RNA的表达发生改变，有几种微小RNA在肿瘤发生中发挥关键生物学作用，充当肿瘤抑制因子或肿瘤促进因子。微小RNA表达水平与临床病理变量相关，对口腔癌具有诊断和预后价值。基于这些原因，在过去几年中，微小RNA一直是口腔癌研究的热点话题。在本综述中，我们试图总结目前对口腔癌中微小RNA失调的认识、它们在获得癌症标志性特征中的作用以及它们对口腔癌管理的潜在诊断和预后价值。
