microRNA在肿瘤中的作用

The roles of microRNAs in cancer

miRNA（microRNAs）是一类由内源基因编码的长度为18-23个碱基的非编码单链RNA分子,它们在转录后水平调节基因的表达。据报道,在多种癌症中发现了miRNA表达量改变,提示其可能与癌症的发病机理、肿瘤生长和转移等相关,起到癌基因或抑癌基因的作用。大量证据表明,miRNA的异常表达会促进肿瘤的发生和发展,因此在包括非小细胞肺癌、乳腺癌和前列腺癌等多种癌症中具有临床价值。笔者主要阐述miRNA的生成过程,以及目前已知的相关miRNA在肺癌、乳腺癌、前列腺癌的预测、诊断、治疗和预后中的临床应用及相关分子机制。

miRNAs, 18-23 nucleotide are a class of single stranded small non-coding RNA encoded by endogenous genes, which regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Abberant expressions of miRNAs reported in many kinds of human cancers may associate with cancer pathogenesis, tumor growth and metastasis, thus they can function as either oncogenes or antioncogenes. Numerous evidences indicated that the disregulation of miRNAs contribute to tumor initiation and progression. So these miRNAs can be used as clinical diagnosis biomarkers in many cancers, including non-small-cell lung cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer. We introduce the clinical applications of the current known of miRNAs in early diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer, as well as their molecular mechanisms.