Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Dragomir, Mihnea P.
• Knutsen, Erik
• Calin, George A.

Titel

Classical and noncanonical functions of miRNAs in cancers

Ist Teil von

• Trends in genetics, 2022-04, Vol.38 (4), p.379-394

Ort / Verlag

England: Elsevier Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2022

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Alterations in microRNAs (miRNAs) expression are causative in the initiation and progression of human cancers. The molecular events responsible for the widespread differential expression of miRNAs in malignancy are exemplified by their location in cancer-associated genomic regions, epigenetic mechanisms, transcriptional dysregulation, chemical modifications and editing, and alterations in miRNA biogenesis proteins. The classical miRNA function is synonymous with post-transcriptional repression of target protein genes. However, several studies have reported miRNAs functioning outside this paradigm and some of these novel modes of regulation of gene expression have been implicated in cancers. Here, we summarize key aspects of miRNA involvement in cancer, with a special focus on these lesser-studied mechanisms of action. Germline and somatic mutations of miRNAs, their targets, and processing proteins have major implications in cancer initiation and progression.Epigenetic regulation and modification of primary, precursor, and mature miRNAs transcripts, in addition to miRNA biogenesis proteins, are additional regulatory mechanisms for miRNA transcription, maturation, and target recognition implicated in cancer.The number and extent of noncanonical functions of miRNAs are increasing and are associated with cancer.Viral miRNAs (xeno-miRNAs) have similar sequences to human miRNAs, sharing a similar pool of targets (target mimicry) and are secreted into bodily fluids in malignant diseases, thereby having potential as novel cancer biomarkers.