Department of Surgery, Level 7, Bridge E, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X323, Arcadia 0007, South Africa.
SAMRC Precision Oncology Research Unit (PORU), Precision Oncology and Cancer Prevention (POCP), Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa.
Genes (Basel). 2022 Jan 27;13(2):244. doi: 10.3390/genes13020244.
MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small non-coding RNAs that are 20-23 nucleotides in length, functioning as regulators of oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. They are molecular modulators that regulate gene expression by suppressing gene translation through gene silencing/degradation, or by promoting translation of messenger RNA (mRNA) into proteins. Circulating miRNAs have attracted attention as possible prognostic markers of cancer, which could aid in the early detection of the disease. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been implicated in tumorigenic processes, primarily by promoting tumor invasiveness and metastatic activity; this is a process that could be manipulated to halt or prevent brain metastasis. Studies show that miRNAs influence the function of EMT in glioblastomas. Thus, miRNA-related EMT can be exploited as a potential therapeutic target in glioblastomas. This review points out the interrelation between miRNA and EMT signatures, and how they can be used as reliable molecular signatures for diagnostic purposes or targeted therapy in glioblastomas.
微小 RNA（miRNA）是长度为 20-23 个核苷酸的小非编码 RNA，作为癌基因或肿瘤抑制基因的调节剂发挥作用。它们是分子调节剂，通过基因沉默/降解抑制基因翻译，或通过促进信使 RNA（mRNA）翻译成蛋白质来调节基因表达。循环 miRNA 作为癌症的可能预后标志物引起了关注，这有助于早期发现疾病。上皮到间充质转化（EMT）与肿瘤发生过程有关，主要通过促进肿瘤侵袭性和转移活性；这是一个可以被操纵以阻止或预防脑转移的过程。研究表明，miRNA 影响胶质母细胞瘤中的 EMT 功能。因此，miRNA 相关的 EMT 可以作为胶质母细胞瘤的潜在治疗靶点。这篇综述指出了 miRNA 与 EMT 特征之间的相互关系，以及它们如何可用作胶质母细胞瘤诊断目的或靶向治疗的可靠分子特征。
