MicroRNAs and cancer

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently emerged as one of the most important new classes of cellular regulators that control various cellular processes such as apoptosis, differentiation, migration, and development. Recent studies have provided evidence that aberrant expression of specific miRNAs is associated with a broad spectrum of human diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Profiling of miRNAs has demonstrated a unique miRNA signature in all human cancers studied. These miRNA expression signatures provide a more accurate method of classifying cancer subtypes than transcriptome profiling of an entire set of known protein-coding genes. Here, we review how miRNAs function in cancers, what causes aberrant miRNA expression in cancers, and the potential in utilizing miRNAs as biomarkers and cancer therapies.