Abou Madawi Nourhan A, Darwish Zeinab E, Omar Enas M
Oral Pathology Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, Champollion Street, Azarita, 21521, Alexandria, Egypt.
Med Oncol. 2024 Aug 1;41(9):214. doi: 10.1007/s12032-024-02450-1.
Cancer is a life-threatening disease and its management is difficult due to its complex nature. Cancer is characterized by genomic instability and tumor-associated inflammation of the supporting stoma. With the advances in omics science, a treatment strategy for cancer has emerged, which is based on targeting cancer-driving molecules, known as targeted therapy. Gene therapy, a form of targeted therapy, is the introduction of nucleic acids into living cells to replace a defective gene, promote or repress gene expression to treat a disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that regulate gene expression and thus are involved in physiological processes like cell proliferation, differentiation, and cell death. miRNAs control the actions of many genes. They are deregulated in cancer and their abnormal expression influences genetic and epigenetic alterations inducing carcinogenesis. In this review, we will explain the role of miRNAs in normal and abnormal gene expression and their usefulness in monitoring cancer patients. Besides, we will discuss miRNA-based therapy as a method of gene therapy and its impact on the success of cancer management.
癌症是一种危及生命的疾病，由于其性质复杂，对其进行治疗颇具难度。癌症的特征是基因组不稳定以及支持性基质的肿瘤相关炎症。随着组学科学的进步，一种基于靶向癌症驱动分子的癌症治疗策略应运而生，即靶向治疗。基因治疗作为靶向治疗的一种形式，是将核酸导入活细胞以替代缺陷基因、促进或抑制基因表达来治疗疾病。微小RNA（miRNA）是非编码RNA（ncRNA），可调节基因表达，从而参与细胞增殖、分化和细胞死亡等生理过程。miRNA控制许多基因的作用。它们在癌症中失调，其异常表达会影响遗传和表观遗传改变，进而诱发癌变。在本综述中，我们将解释miRNA在正常和异常基因表达中的作用及其在监测癌症患者方面的用途。此外，我们将讨论基于miRNA的治疗作为一种基因治疗方法及其对癌症治疗成功的影响。
