Longo Federica, Gattuso Giuseppe, Spoto Graziana, Ricci Daria, Vitale Anastasia Cristina Venera, Lavoro Alessandro, Candido Saverio, Libra Massimo, Falzone Luca
Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, I-95123, Italy.
Research Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, University of Catania, Catania, I- 95123, Italy.
Noncoding RNA Res. 2025 May 23;14:65-95. doi: 10.1016/j.ncrna.2025.05.012. eCollection 2025 Oct.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression and their dysregulation is involved in various diseases, including tumors. Among these, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the result of both genetic and epigenetic alterations with miRNAs playing a key pathogenetic role. Although numerous studies have investigated the most frequently dysregulated miRNAs in CRC, there is still no consensus on the specific role of individual miRNAs in the mechanisms leading to tumorigenesis, tumor progression, and the development of chemoresistance. This lack of clarity highlights the need for a deeper understanding of miRNA functions in CRC. Therefore, this review aims to clarify the role of miRNAs in CRC by examining their involvement in major oncogenic pathways, highlighting key miRNAs implicated in the disease, and exploring their potential as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. By providing a comprehensive overview, we hope to shed light on the complex and multifaceted roles of miRNAs in CRC, which could pave the way for more effective CRC monitoring and the development of miRNA-guided therapeutic strategies.
微小RNA（miRNA）是基因表达的重要调节因子，其失调与包括肿瘤在内的多种疾病有关。其中，结直肠癌（CRC）是遗传和表观遗传改变共同作用的结果，miRNA在其发病机制中起着关键作用。尽管众多研究已经调查了CRC中最常失调的miRNA，但对于单个miRNA在导致肿瘤发生、肿瘤进展和化疗耐药性发展的机制中的具体作用仍未达成共识。这种不明确凸显了深入了解miRNA在CRC中的功能的必要性。因此，本综述旨在通过研究miRNA参与的主要致癌途径，突出与该疾病相关的关键miRNA，并探索其作为诊断生物标志物和治疗靶点的潜力，来阐明miRNA在CRC中的作用。通过提供全面的概述，我们希望揭示miRNA在CRC中复杂多面的作用，这可能为更有效的CRC监测以及miRNA引导的治疗策略的开发铺平道路。
