MicroRNAs in Cell Proliferation, Cell Death, and Tumorigenesis

Overview

Journal Br J Cancer

Specialty Oncology

Date 2006 Feb 24

PMID 16495913

Citations 519

Authors

H-W Hwang

J T Mendell

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a recently discovered class of approximately 18-24 nucleotide RNA molecules that negatively regulate target mRNAs. All studied multicellular eukaryotes utilise miRNAs to regulate basic cellular functions including proliferation, differentiation, and death. It is now apparent that abnormal miRNA expression is a common feature of human malignancies. In this review, we will discuss how miRNAs influence tumorigenesis by acting as oncogenes and tumour suppressors.

Citing Articles

The role of molecular biomarkers in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment stratification of oral squamous cell carcinoma: A comprehensive review.

Ravindran S, Ranganathan S, R K, J N, A S, Kannan S J Liq Biopsy. 2025; 7:100285.

PMID: 40027232 PMC: 11863969. DOI: 10.1016/j.jlb.2025.100285.

Target miRNA identification for the LPL gene in large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea).

Ullah K, Hossain A, Cao M, Xue L, Wang Y Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):4164.

PMID: 39905090 PMC: 11794633. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-82988-2.

Interaction Between Malat1 and miR-499-5p Regulates Meis1 Expression and Function with a Net Impact on Cell Proliferation.

Fahim S, Ragheb M, Fayed I, Osama A, Karam A, Magdeldin S Cells. 2025; 14(2).

PMID: 39851553 PMC: 11764005. DOI: 10.3390/cells14020125.

Cardiac growth patterns and metabolism before and after birth in swine: Role of miR in proliferation, hypertrophy and metabolism.

Dimasi C, Darby J, Holman S, Quinn M, Meakin A, Seed M J Mol Cell Cardiol Plus. 2025; 9():100084.

PMID: 39803591 PMC: 11708124. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmccpl.2024.100084.

Human miR-1 Stimulates Metabolic and Thermogenic-Related Genes in Adipocytes.

Diez-Sainz E, Milagro F, Aranaz P, Riezu-Boj J, Batrow P, Contu L Int J Mol Sci. 2025; 26(1.

PMID: 39796132 PMC: 11720367. DOI: 10.3390/ijms26010276.

References

Lin Y, Sheu J, Liu L, Chen C, Lee H, Huang G . Loss of heterozygosity at chromosome 13q in hepatocellular carcinoma: identification of three independent regions. Eur J Cancer. 2000; 35(12):1730-4. DOI: 10.1016/s0959-8049(99)00205-1. View

Cimmino A, Calin G, Fabbri M, Iorio M, Ferracin M, Shimizu M . miR-15 and miR-16 induce apoptosis by targeting BCL2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005; 102(39):13944-9. PMC: 1236577. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0506654102. View

Pasquinelli A, Reinhart B, Slack F, Martindale M, Kuroda M, Maller B . Conservation of the sequence and temporal expression of let-7 heterochronic regulatory RNA. Nature. 2000; 408(6808):86-9. DOI: 10.1038/35040556. View

Calin G, Dumitru C, Shimizu M, Bichi R, Zupo S, Noch E . Frequent deletions and down-regulation of micro- RNA genes miR15 and miR16 at 13q14 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002; 99(24):15524-9. PMC: 137750. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.242606799. View

Brennecke J, Hipfner D, Stark A, Russell R, Cohen S . bantam encodes a developmentally regulated microRNA that controls cell proliferation and regulates the proapoptotic gene hid in Drosophila. Cell. 2003; 113(1):25-36. DOI: 10.1016/s0092-8674(03)00231-9. View

Xu P, Vernooy S, Guo M, Hay B . The Drosophila microRNA Mir-14 suppresses cell death and is required for normal fat metabolism. Curr Biol. 2003; 13(9):790-5. DOI: 10.1016/s0960-9822(03)00250-1. View

Fernandez P, Frank S, Wang L, Schroeder M, Liu S, Greene J . Genomic targets of the human c-Myc protein. Genes Dev. 2003; 17(9):1115-29. PMC: 196049. DOI: 10.1101/gad.1067003. View

Michael M, O Connor S, van Holst Pellekaan N, Young G, James R . Reduced accumulation of specific microRNAs in colorectal neoplasia. Mol Cancer Res. 2003; 1(12):882-91. View

Metzler M, Wilda M, Busch K, Viehmann S, Borkhardt A . High expression of precursor microRNA-155/BIC RNA in children with Burkitt lymphoma. Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2003; 39(2):167-9. DOI: 10.1002/gcc.10316. View

10.

Yi R, Qin Y, Macara I, Cullen B . Exportin-5 mediates the nuclear export of pre-microRNAs and short hairpin RNAs. Genes Dev. 2003; 17(24):3011-6. PMC: 305252. DOI: 10.1101/gad.1158803. View

11.

Lund E, Guttinger S, Calado A, Dahlberg J, Kutay U . Nuclear export of microRNA precursors. Science. 2003; 303(5654):95-8. DOI: 10.1126/science.1090599. View

12.

Bohnsack M, Czaplinski K, Gorlich D . Exportin 5 is a RanGTP-dependent dsRNA-binding protein that mediates nuclear export of pre-miRNAs. RNA. 2004; 10(2):185-91. PMC: 1370530. DOI: 10.1261/rna.5167604. View

13.

Calin G, Ferracin M, Cimmino A, Di Leva G, Shimizu M, E Wojcik S . A MicroRNA signature associated with prognosis and progression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2005; 353(17):1793-801. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa050995. View

14.

Hayashita Y, Osada H, Tatematsu Y, Yamada H, Yanagisawa K, Tomida S . A polycistronic microRNA cluster, miR-17-92, is overexpressed in human lung cancers and enhances cell proliferation. Cancer Res. 2005; 65(21):9628-32. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-05-2352. View

15.

Rand T, Petersen S, Du F, Wang X . Argonaute2 cleaves the anti-guide strand of siRNA during RISC activation. Cell. 2005; 123(4):621-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2005.10.020. View

16.

Matranga C, Tomari Y, Shin C, Bartel D, Zamore P . Passenger-strand cleavage facilitates assembly of siRNA into Ago2-containing RNAi enzyme complexes. Cell. 2005; 123(4):607-20. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2005.08.044. View

17.

Gregory R, Chendrimada T, Cooch N, Shiekhattar R . Human RISC couples microRNA biogenesis and posttranscriptional gene silencing. Cell. 2005; 123(4):631-40. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2005.10.022. View

18.

Lu J, Getz G, Miska E, Alvarez-Saavedra E, Lamb J, Peck D . MicroRNA expression profiles classify human cancers. Nature. 2005; 435(7043):834-8. DOI: 10.1038/nature03702. View

19.

Reinhart B, Slack F, Basson M, Pasquinelli A, Bettinger J, Rougvie A . The 21-nucleotide let-7 RNA regulates developmental timing in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nature. 2000; 403(6772):901-6. DOI: 10.1038/35002607. View

20.

Bartel D . MicroRNAs: genomics, biogenesis, mechanism, and function. Cell. 2004; 116(2):281-97. DOI: 10.1016/s0092-8674(04)00045-5. View