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Review
. 2016 Oct:12:34-42.
doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.09.017. Epub 2016 Sep 20.

microRNA Therapeutics in Cancer - An Emerging Concept

Maitri Y Shah  1 , Alessandra Ferrajoli  2 , Anil K Sood  3 , Gabriel Lopez-Berestein  4 , George A Calin  5
Affiliations
Review

microRNA Therapeutics in Cancer - An Emerging Concept

Maitri Y Shah et al. EBioMedicine. 2016 Oct.

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an evolutionarily conserved class of small, regulatory non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate protein coding gene and other non-coding transcripts expression. miRNAs have been established as master regulators of cellular processes, and they play a vital role in tumor initiation, progression and metastasis. Further, widespread deregulation of microRNAs have been reported in several cancers, with several microRNAs playing oncogenic and tumor suppressive roles. Based on these, miRNAs have emerged as promising therapeutic tools for cancer management. In this review, we have focused on the roles of miRNAs in tumorigenesis, the miRNA-based therapeutic strategies currently being evaluated for use in cancer, and the advantages and current challenges to their use in the clinic.

Keywords: Cancer; Clinical trials; Non-coding RNA; Therapeutics; microRNA.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
miRNA mechanism and modulation. Canonical biogenesis and processing of miRNAs and mechanism of RNAi-regulated gene silencing is presented. Additionally, the several mechanisms of delivery of miRNA and therapeutic agents are also presented.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
microRNAs and cancer hallmarks. Specific examples of miRNAs involved in the hallmarks of cancer are presented.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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