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Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Background: Cancer is a global health problem and the main cause of mortality. Most cancer-associated cases of mortality are the consequences of lack of effective treatment and biomarkers for early diagnosis. New hopes for the improvement of the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer synchronize with the emergence of microRNAs (miRNAs). MicroRNAs are small, noncoding, single-stranded RNAs, the length of which is approximately 18–25 nucleotides and which bind to 3’ untranslated region (3’UTR) of the target messenger RNAs (mRNAs), leading to mRNA degradation or translational inhibition; thereby regulating gene expression post-transcriptionally._x000D_ Aim: Using microRNAs as promising and potential biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutic targets._x000D_ Methods: The microRNA expression changes in peripheral blood and can be assayed using non-invasive, low-cost, precise, and rapid tools._x000D_ Results: It is noteworthy that miRNAs participate in multiple cancer-related biological processes, including proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, drug resistance, invasion, and metastasis. Interestingly, the identified cancer-associated miRNAs, including over-expressed oncogenic miRNAs (oncomiRs) or underexpressed tumor-suppressive miRNAs, are diverse and specific for different tissues and cancer types._x000D_ Conclusion: The genetic testing of microRNAs opens up the exciting possibility of early diagnosis and treatment before the onset of metastasis._x000D_

Keywords

microRNAs, gene silencing, circulating biomarkers, cancer diagnosis, anticancer therapy, miRNAs detection.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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