Spinello Zaira, Besharat Zein Mersini, Mainiero Fabrizio, Rughetti Aurelia, Masuelli Laura, Ferretti Elisabetta, Catanzaro Giuseppina
Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy.
Department of Life Science, Health, and Health Professions, Link Campus University, 00165, Rome, Italy.
Noncoding RNA Res. 2025 Feb 25;12:56-64. doi: 10.1016/j.ncrna.2025.02.006. eCollection 2025 Jun.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that act as critical regulators of gene expression by repressing mRNA translation. The role of miRNAs in cell physiology spans from cell cycle control to cell proliferation and differentiation, both during development and in adult tissues. Accordingly, dysregulated expression of miRNAs has been reported in several diseases, including cancer, where miRNAs can act as oncogenes or oncosuppressors. Of note, miRNA signatures are also under investigation for classification, diagnosis, and prognosis of cancer patients. Brain tumours are primarily associated with poor prognosis and high mortality, highlighting an urgent need for novel diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tools. Among miRNAs investigated in brain tumours, miR-326 has been shown to act as a tumour suppressor in adult and paediatric brain cancers. In this review, we describe the role of miR-326 in malignant as well as benign cancers originating from brain tissue. In addition, since miR-326 expression can be regulated by other non-coding RNA species, adding a further layer of regulation in the cancer-promoting axis, we discuss this miRNA's role in targeted therapy for brain cancers.
微小RNA（miRNA）是一类小的非编码RNA，通过抑制mRNA翻译来充当基因表达的关键调节因子。miRNA在细胞生理学中的作用涵盖从细胞周期控制到细胞增殖和分化，在发育过程以及成年组织中均是如此。因此，在包括癌症在内的多种疾病中均报道了miRNA表达失调的情况，其中miRNA可作为癌基因或抑癌基因发挥作用。值得注意的是，miRNA特征也正在被研究用于癌症患者的分类、诊断和预后评估。脑肿瘤主要与预后不良和高死亡率相关，这凸显了对新型诊断、预后和治疗工具的迫切需求。在脑肿瘤中研究的miRNA中，miR-326已被证明在成人和儿童脑癌中作为肿瘤抑制因子发挥作用。在本综述中，我们描述了miR-326在源自脑组织的恶性以及良性癌症中的作用。此外，由于miR-326的表达可受其他非编码RNA种类的调控，这在癌症促进轴中增加了另一层调控，我们讨论了这种miRNA在脑癌靶向治疗中的作用。
