How MicroRNAs Command the Battle Against Cancer

Overview

Journal Int J Mol Sci

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Biochemistry
Chemistry
Molecular Biology

Date 2024 Jun 19

PMID 38892054

Authors

Hong Helena Wu

Sarah Leng

Consolato Sergi

Roger Leng

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that regulate more than 30% of genes in humans. Recent studies have revealed that miRNAs play a crucial role in tumorigenesis. Large sets of miRNAs in human tumors are under-expressed compared to normal tissues. Furthermore, experiments have shown that interference with miRNA processing enhances tumorigenesis. Multiple studies have documented the causal role of miRNAs in cancer, and miRNA-based anticancer therapies are currently being developed. This review primarily focuses on two key points: (1) miRNAs and their role in human cancer and (2) the regulation of tumor suppressors by miRNAs. The review discusses (a) the regulation of the tumor suppressor p53 by miRNA, (b) the critical role of the miR-144/451 cluster in regulating the Itch-p63-Ago2 pathway, and (c) the regulation of PTEN by miRNAs. Future research and the perspectives of miRNA in cancer are also discussed. Understanding these pathways will open avenues for therapeutic interventions targeting miRNA regulation.

Citing Articles

A Critical Review on microRNAs as Prognostic Biomarkers in Laryngeal Carcinoma.

Komitova K, Dimitrov L, Stancheva G, Kyurkchiyan S, Petkova V, Dimitrov S Int J Mol Sci. 2025; 25(24.

PMID: 39769234 PMC: 11676902. DOI: 10.3390/ijms252413468.

PTEN Deficiency Induced by Extracellular Vesicle miRNAs from Potentiates Cholangiocarcinoma Development by Inhibiting Ferroptosis.

Wen L, Li M, Yin J Int J Mol Sci. 2024; 25(19).

PMID: 39408679 PMC: 11477024. DOI: 10.3390/ijms251910350.

References

Smith E, Whitty E, Yoo B, Moore A, Sempere L, Medarova Z . Clinical Applications of Short Non-Coding RNA-Based Therapies in the Era of Precision Medicine. Cancers (Basel). 2022; 14(6). PMC: 8946086. DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061588. View

Xu C, Qi X . MiR-10b inhibits migration and invasion of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma via regulating E2F7. J Clin Lab Anal. 2020; 34(10):e23442. PMC: 7595905. DOI: 10.1002/jcla.23442. View

Laptenko O, Prives C . p53: master of life, death, and the epigenome. Genes Dev. 2017; 31(10):955-956. PMC: 5495123. DOI: 10.1101/gad.302364.117. View

Johnsson P, Ackley A, Vidarsdottir L, Lui W, Corcoran M, Grander D . A pseudogene long-noncoding-RNA network regulates PTEN transcription and translation in human cells. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2013; 20(4):440-6. PMC: 3618526. DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2516. View

Donehower L, Harvey M, Slagle B, McArthur M, Montgomery Jr C, Butel J . Mice deficient for p53 are developmentally normal but susceptible to spontaneous tumours. Nature. 1992; 356(6366):215-21. DOI: 10.1038/356215a0. View

Nguyen T, Suman K, Nguyen T, Nguyen H, Do D . The Role of miR-29s in Human Cancers-An Update. Biomedicines. 2022; 10(9). PMC: 9495592. DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092121. View

Malkin D, Li F, Strong L, Fraumeni Jr J, Nelson C, Kim D . Germ line p53 mutations in a familial syndrome of breast cancer, sarcomas, and other neoplasms. Science. 1990; 250(4985):1233-8. DOI: 10.1126/science.1978757. View

Zhang S, Zhang C, Li Y, Wang P, Yue Z, Xie S . miR-98 regulates cisplatin-induced A549 cell death by inhibiting TP53 pathway. Biomed Pharmacother. 2011; 65(6):436-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2011.04.010. 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

10.

Lim L, Lau N, Garrett-Engele P, Grimson A, Schelter J, Castle J . Microarray analysis shows that some microRNAs downregulate large numbers of target mRNAs. Nature. 2005; 433(7027):769-73. DOI: 10.1038/nature03315. View

11.

Coronel-Hernandez J, Lopez-Urrutia E, Contreras-Romero C, Delgado-Waldo I, Figueroa-Gonzalez G, Campos-Parra A . Cell migration and proliferation are regulated by miR-26a in colorectal cancer via the PTEN-AKT axis. Cancer Cell Int. 2019; 19:80. PMC: 6444875. DOI: 10.1186/s12935-019-0802-5. View

12.

Kato M, Putta S, Wang M, Yuan H, Lanting L, Nair I . TGF-beta activates Akt kinase through a microRNA-dependent amplifying circuit targeting PTEN. Nat Cell Biol. 2009; 11(7):881-9. PMC: 2744130. DOI: 10.1038/ncb1897. View

13.

Zhao Y, Yang W, Xin H, Han J, Ma S . MiR-182-5p Knockdown Targeting PTEN Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Invasion of Breast Cancer Cells. Yonsei Med J. 2019; 60(2):148-157. PMC: 6342713. DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2019.60.2.148. View

14.

Wang Y, Huang J, Castella M, Huntsman D, Taniguchi T . p53 is positively regulated by miR-542-3p. Cancer Res. 2014; 74(12):3218-27. PMC: 4058365. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-13-1706. View

15.

Wang W, Liu L, Tian Y . miR-19-3p Targets PTEN to Regulate Cervical Cancer Cell Proliferation, Invasion, and Autophagy. Genet Res (Camb). 2023; 2023:4784500. PMC: 10005872. DOI: 10.1155/2023/4784500. View

16.

Iorio M, Ferracin M, Liu C, Veronese A, Spizzo R, Sabbioni S . MicroRNA gene expression deregulation in human breast cancer. Cancer Res. 2005; 65(16):7065-70. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-05-1783. View

17.

Yamashita R, Sato M, Kakumu T, Hase T, Yogo N, Maruyama E . Growth inhibitory effects of miR-221 and miR-222 in non-small cell lung cancer cells. Cancer Med. 2015; 4(4):551-64. PMC: 4402070. DOI: 10.1002/cam4.412. View

18.

Melino G, Lu X, Gasco M, Crook T, Knight R . Functional regulation of p73 and p63: development and cancer. Trends Biochem Sci. 2003; 28(12):663-70. DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2003.10.004. View

19.

Zhang S, Yu J, Sun B, Hou G, Yu Z, Luo H . MicroRNA-92a Targets SERTAD3 and Regulates the Growth, Invasion, and Migration of Prostate Cancer Cells via the P53 Pathway. Onco Targets Ther. 2020; 13:5495-5514. PMC: 7298502. DOI: 10.2147/OTT.S249168. View

20.

Sargolzaei J, Etemadi T, Alyasin A . The P53/microRNA network: A potential tumor suppressor with a role in anticancer therapy. Pharmacol Res. 2020; 160:105179. DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105179. View