Estrogen repression of microRNA as a potential cause of cancer

Amit Cohen; Mario Alberto Burgos-Aceves; Yoav Smith

doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2016.01.023

Estrogen repression of microRNA as a potential cause of cancer

Biomed Pharmacother. 2016 Mar:78:234-238. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.01.023. Epub 2016 Feb 2.

Authors

Amit Cohen¹, Mario Alberto Burgos-Aceves², Yoav Smith¹

Affiliations

¹ Genomic Data Analysis Unit, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem-Hadassah Medical School, P.O. Box 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
² Centro de Investigaciones Biolόgicas del Noroeste, S.C. Mar Bermejo 195, Col. Playa Palo de Sta. Rita, La Paz, BCS, 23090, México. Electronic address: marioburgos21@hotmail.com.

PMID: 26898447
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.01.023

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small molecules that regulate gene expression and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of many human diseases, including cancer. This review describes the results that show a global repression in miRNA expression in various tumors and cancer cell lines. Intriguingly, recent discoveries have shown a widespread downregulation of miRNA after exposure to the steroid hormone estrogen. The integration of the results suggests that estrogen-dependent repression of miRNA is a potential cause of cancer.

Keywords: Cancer; Estrogen; microRNA.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Estrogens / metabolism*
Estrogens / pharmacology
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
Humans
MicroRNAs / genetics*
MicroRNAs / metabolism
Models, Biological
Neoplasms / genetics*
Signal Transduction / drug effects
Signal Transduction / genetics

Substances

Estrogens
MicroRNAs