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MicroRNAs in Solid Tumors

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Non-coding RNAs and Cancer

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Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs (17–25 nt) that modulate the expression of genes by negatively regulating translation and stability of messenger RNAs (mRNAs). miRNAs have emerged as critical players in cancer initiation and progression processes due to their documented roles in either promoting (oncogenic) or suppressing (tumor-suppressors) oncogenesis. Dysregulation of miRNA expression levels and associated alterations in gene expressions have been demonstrated in various solid tumors. In this chapter, biogenesis of miRNAs and dysregulation of miRNAs in tumor formation, maintenance and metastasis as well as potential role of miRNAs as cancer biomarkers and therapeutic targets for anticancer treatment are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The biomarker discovery work in Subrata Sen’s laboratory is supported by a grant from the Early Detection Research Network of the National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health, USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Jin Wang

  2. Program in Human and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA

    Subrata Sen

  3. Departmental of Translational Molecular Pathology, Unit 951, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Subrata Sen

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  1. Jin Wang
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Correspondence to Subrata Sen .

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  1. Pediatrics and Molecular Microbiology &, University of Southern California Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Muller Fabbri

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Wang, J., Sen, S. (2014). MicroRNAs in Solid Tumors. In: Fabbri, M. (eds) Non-coding RNAs and Cancer. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8444-8_4

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