miRNAs在肝癌干细胞中的作用

Role of miRNAs in Hepatic Cancer Stem Cells

MicroRNAs(miRNAs)是一类参与转录后调控的小分子RNA,它在调控细胞的增殖、分化及肿瘤的形成等多种生理及病理过程中发挥着重要的作用.肝癌干细胞是肝癌组织中具有自我更新能力和分化潜能的一个微群体,它能够启始肝癌的发生,并且与肝癌的抗药性及复发等密切相关.已经有研究表明miRNAs对肝癌干细胞的发生发展起着重要的调控作用,包括致癌和抑癌的作用,因此总结miRNAs在肝癌干细胞中作用,有助于更好理解肝癌干细胞的特性及肝癌肿瘤生物学.近年来,除了传统的分子生物学手段,组学和系统生物学研究策略的运用也为miRNAs在肝癌中的研究提供了新的思路.鉴于此,深入研究miRNAs在肝癌干细胞中的分子机制,将为靶向肝癌干细胞的临床治疗提供新的途径.

miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level in the normal cellular processes as well as various malignancies. Hepatic cancer stem cells （HCSCs） , a subpopulation of cells residing in the hepatocarcinomas, not only possess the ability of self-renewal, tumor initiation, recurrence and metastasis, but also can resist therapeutic interventions. Previous studies indicated that miRNAs are essential regulators of HCSC functioning, acting either as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Therefore, investigation of miRNAs regulation in HCSCs would facilitate to better understand the characteristics of HCSCs and biological processes underlying hepatocarcinoma. In addition to molecular biology techniques, the techniques in genomics and system biology have been recently established to provide new strategies for miRNAs research in hepatocarcinoma. In summary, further illustration of miRNAs regulation in HCSCs may provide insights into new approaches targeting HCSCs for clinical applications.