Matrix & Metastasis Lab, Cancer Ecosystems Program, The Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia.
School of Clinical Medicine, St Vincent's Healthcare Clinical Campus, UNSW Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Clin Exp Metastasis. 2024 Jun;41(3):163-186. doi: 10.1007/s10585-023-10256-0. Epub 2024 Jan 19.
Small non-coding RNA or microRNA (miRNA) are critical regulators of eukaryotic cells. Dysregulation of miRNA expression and function has been linked to a variety of diseases including cancer. They play a complex role in cancers, having both tumour suppressor and promoter properties. In addition, a single miRNA can be involved in regulating several mRNAs or many miRNAs can regulate a single mRNA, therefore assessing these roles is essential to a better understanding in cancer initiation and development. Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide, in part due to the lack of diagnostic tools and limited treatment options. The most common form of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is characterised by major genetic mutations that drive cancer initiation and progression. The regulation or interaction of miRNAs with these cancer driving mutations suggests a strong link between the two. Understanding this link between miRNA and PDAC progression may give rise to novel treatments or diagnostic tools. This review summarises the role of miRNAs in PDAC, the downstream signalling pathways that they play a role in, how these are being used and studied as therapeutic targets as well as prognostic/diagnostic tools to improve the clinical outcome of PDAC.
小非编码 RNA 或 microRNA (miRNA) 是真核细胞的关键调控因子。miRNA 表达和功能的失调与多种疾病有关,包括癌症。它们在癌症中发挥着复杂的作用,既有肿瘤抑制因子又有促进因子的特性。此外,单个 miRNA 可以参与调节多个 mRNAs,或者许多 miRNA 可以调节单个 mRNA,因此评估这些作用对于更好地理解癌症的发生和发展至关重要。
胰腺癌是全球癌症死亡的主要原因之一,部分原因是缺乏诊断工具和有限的治疗选择。最常见的胰腺癌形式,胰腺导管腺癌 (PDAC),其特征是主要的遗传突变,这些突变驱动癌症的发生和进展。miRNA 与这些致癌突变的调节或相互作用表明它们之间存在很强的联系。了解 miRNA 与 PDAC 进展之间的这种联系可能会产生新的治疗方法或诊断工具。
这篇综述总结了 miRNA 在 PDAC 中的作用、它们在其中发挥作用的下游信号通路、如何将它们作为治疗靶点以及作为预后/诊断工具来改善 PDAC 的临床结果进行研究。