The Role of miR-21 in Cancer

Drug Dev Res. 2015 Sep;76(6):270-7. doi: 10.1002/ddr.21257. Epub 2015 Jun 16.

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous noncoding RNAs that suppress gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In the past decade, miRNAs have been extensively studied in a number of different human cancers. MiRNAs have been identified to act both as oncogenes and as tumor suppressors. In addition, miRNAs are associated with the intrinsic resistance of cancer to various forms of therapy, and they are implicated in both tumor progression and metastasis. The characterization of the specific alterations in the patterns of miRNA expression in cancer has great potential for identifying biomarkers for early cancer detection, as well as for potential therapeutic intervention in cancer treatment. In this chapter, we describe the ever-expanding role of miR-21 and its target genes in different cancers, and provide insight into how this oncogenic miRNA regulates cancer cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis by suppressing the expression of tumor suppressors.

Keywords: FBX011; IGFBP3; cancer; miR-21; miRNA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Survival
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • F-Box Proteins / genetics
  • Humans
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases / genetics
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • F-Box Proteins
  • IGFBP3 protein, human
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3
  • MIRN21 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • FBXO11 protein, human
  • Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases