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The impact of microRNAs on colorectal cancer

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Abstract

MicroRNAs are small RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. After their discovery 15 years ago, a new layer of gene regulation was introduced into every field of human biology and medicine. Considering the strong association between genetic alterations and neoplastic diseases, it is not surprising that there is a special focus on miRNAs and cancer. A multitude of experimental studies on colorectal cancer, the most common cancer site and furthermore the second most common cause of death due to cancer, deliver insight into miRNA-mediated, regulatory links to well-known oncogenic and tumour suppressor signalling pathways. Furthermore, several investigations have described the ability of microRNA expression patterns to predict prognosis in colon cancer and support diagnosis of poorly differentiated tumours. In this short review, we give a comprehensive overview focussed on miRNAs in colorectal cancer research.

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Abbreviations

3′UTR:

3′ untranslated regions of mRNAs

CRC:

Colorectal cancer

CTGF:

Connective tissue growth factor

CUP:

Cancer of unknown primary

EMT:

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

miR/miRNA:

microRNA

miRAGE:

miRNA serial analysis of gene expression

mRNA:

messenger RNA

PDCD4:

programmed cell death 4

PI-3-K:

Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-AKT pathway

PTEN:

Phosphatase and tensin homolog

siRNA:

Small interfering RNA

SNP:

Single nucleotide polymorphism

SIRT1:

Silent information regulator 1

TGF-β:

Transforming growth factor β

TNF-α:

Tumour necrosis factor α

Tsp-1:

Thrombospondin-1

UICC:

International Union Against Cancer (classification system)

ZEB1/ZEB2:

Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1/2

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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  1. Institute of Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Thalkirchner Strasse 36, 80337, Munich, Germany

    Claudius Faber, Thomas Kirchner & Falk Hlubek

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  1. Claudius Faber
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  2. Thomas Kirchner
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Correspondence to Claudius Faber.

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Faber, C., Kirchner, T. & Hlubek, F. The impact of microRNAs on colorectal cancer. Virchows Arch 454, 359–367 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-009-0751-9

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