The MiR-15a/16 Gene Cluster in Human Cancer: A Systematic Review

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an important class of endogenous small noncoding single-stranded RNAs that suppress the expression of their target genes through messenger RNA (mRNA) degradation to inhibit transcription and translation. MiRNAs play a crucial regulatory role in many biological processes including proliferation, metabolism, and cellular malignancy. miR-15a/16 is an important tumor suppressor gene cluster with a variety of factors that regulate its transcriptional activity. It has been discovered that a relative reduction of miR-15a/16 expression in various cancers is closely related to the occurrence and progression of tumors. miR-15a/16 takes part in a wide array of biological processes including tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and chemoresistance by binding to the 3'-untranslated region of its target gene's mRNA. In this review, we will examine the complex regulatory network of miR-15a/16 gene expression and its biological functions in human cancers to further elucidate the molecular mechanisms of its antitumor effects.