Role and mechanism of miR-211 in human cancer

Abstract

MircoRNA (miRNA), which are a group of small, and highly conserved non-coding RNA consisting of 18–25 nucleotides, can modulate gene expression at post-transcriptional level, through complementary binding to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of numerous target genes. Emerging evidence indicates that miRNAs play critical roles in tumorigenesis and progression of cancer. Among them, miR-211 has been extensively studied in multiple cancers. The expression of miR-211 significantly varies with cancer types and may be used as a potential prognostic marker for cancer. MiR-211 can regulate multiple biological processes in cancer, including proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis and drug resistance. Additionally, several factors may contribute to the dysregulation of miR-211 in cancer. Consequently, this review aims to discuss the novel findings that highlight latent value of miR-211 in the prognosis assessment and treatment of cancer.