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Biogenesis, Function and Role of MicroRNA in Cancer

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A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmaceutical Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 February 2022) | Viewed by 16130

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jong Kook Park

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Guest Editor

Department of Biomedical Science and Research Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Republic of Korea
Interests: miRNA; non-coding RNA; gene expression analysis; biomarkers; cancer microenvironment; drug resistance; cancer therapeutics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Chung Kwon Kim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Single Cell Network Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon 06355, Korea
Interests: miRNAs; cancer therapeutics; cancer metastasis; programmed cell death; proteomic analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are widely recognized small RNAs that are expressed in a tissue-specific manner and involved in pathological states of several diseases, including cancer, through modulating diverse cellular signaling pathways. Therefore, miRNA-based therapeutics have been proposed as a reasonable next-generation strategy to improve therapeutic responses. MiRNAs are transcribed from multiple genomic locations into primary miRNAs, which are further processed into precursor miRNAs and mature miRNAs. Therefore, expression levels of miRNAs could be regulated by transcription factors and biogenesis pathways. Additionally, the unveiling of functional target genes of miRNAs is vital for interpreting the intracellular functions of miRNAs and miRNA–mRNA regulatory networks. Moreover, extracellular miRNAs have been found to serve as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis. By now, the biogenesis, function, and role of miRNAs have been delineated in cancer, but it is still necessary to unravel the uncharacterized features of miRNAs in cancer.

This Special Issue on “Biogenesis, Function and Role of MicroRNA in Cancer” aims to advance our understanding of miRNA biology, ultimately for the development of a novel strategy for cancer therapy and new applications of miRNAs in cancer diagnosis. This Special Issue welcomes a series of original research articles as well as review articles addressing the emerging advances in the field of miRNAs. Topics include, but are not limited to:

Post-transcriptional regulation of miRNAs modulated by RNA-binding proteins and other factors;
The role of miRNAs in cancer cells and the surrounding microenvironment;
Expression levels, target genes, and therapeutic applications of miRNAs;
miRNA–mRNA regulatory networks;
Validation of miRNAs as potential cancer biomarkers.

Dr. Jong Kook Park
Prof. Dr. Chung Kwon Kim
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

miRNA biogenesis
miRNA expression
target identification
signaling pathways
cancer microenvironment
biomarkers
miRNA-based therapeutics

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 2368 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of MiRNA-181a2 on the Clinical Course of IDH1 Wild Type Glioblastoma

by Christoph Sippl, Louisa Schoeneberger, Fritz Teping, Walter Schulz-Schaeffer, Steffi Urbschat, Ralf Ketter and Joachim Oertel

Processes 2021, 9(5), 728; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9050728 - 21 Apr 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1568

Abstract

Background: Recently, miRNA-181a2 could be identified as a major regulator of IDH1 expression in fat tissue. The IDH1 gene, its mutation and expression have a major impact on overall survival in patients with glioblastoma. The presented study aimed to investigate the effect of miRNA-181a2 on IDH1 expression in glioblastoma and on the prognosis of patients suffering from, for example, a tumor. Methods: A total of 74 glioblastoma specimens were analyzed for the expression of miRNA-181a2, acquired as fold change, using qRT-PCR. IDH1 protein expression was estimated via mRNA quantification. Eight post mortal, non-glioma related brain tissue specimens served as the control group. The results were correlated with relevant demographic and clinical aspects of the cohort. A TCGA dataset was used as an independent reference. Results: MiRNA-181a2 was significantly downregulated in tumor samples compared to the control group (p < 0.001). In the glioblastoma cohort, 63/74 (85.1%) showed an IDH1 wild type, while 11/74 (14.9%) patients harbored an IDH 1 mutation. In patients with IDH1 wild type glioblastoma, low miRNA-181a2 expression correlated with a prolonged overall survival (p = 0.019), also verifiable in an independent TCGA dataset. This correlation could not be identified for patients with an IDH1 mutation. MiRNA-181a2 expression tended to correlate inversely with IDH1 protein expression (p = 0.06). Gross total resection of the tumor was an independent marker for a prolonged survival (p = 0.03). Conclusion: MiRNA-181a2 seems to be a promising prognostic marker of selective glioblastoma patients with IDH1 wild type characteristics. This effect may be mediated via direct regulation of IDH1 expression. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biogenesis, Function and Role of MicroRNA in Cancer)

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Review

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19 pages, 945 KiB

Open AccessReview

MicroRNAs Encoded by Virus and Small RNAs Encoded by Bacteria Associated with Oncogenic Processes

by Erika Nallely Orendain-Jaime, Nicolás Serafín-Higuera, Ana Gabriela Leija-Montoya, Gustavo Martínez-Coronilla, Misael Moreno-Trujillo, Fausto Sánchez-Muñoz, Armando Ruiz-Hernández and Javier González-Ramírez

Processes 2021, 9(12), 2234; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9122234 - 11 Dec 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2655

Abstract

Cancer is a deadly disease and, globally, represents the second leading cause of death in the world. Although it is a disease where several factors can help its development, virus induced infections have been associated with different types of neoplasms. However, in bacterial infections, their participation is not known for certain. Among the proposed approaches to oncogenesis risks in different infections are microRNAs (miRNAs). These are small molecules composed of RNA with a length of 22 nucleotides capable of regulating gene expression by directing protein complexes that suppress the untranslated region of mRNA. These miRNAs and other recently described, such as small RNAs (sRNAs), are deregulated in the development of cancer, becoming promising biomarkers. Thus, resulting in a study possibility, searching for new tools with diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to multiple oncological diseases, as miRNAs and sRNAs are main players of gene expression and host–infectious agent interaction. Moreover, sRNAs with limited complementarity are similar to eukaryotic miRNAs in their ability to modulate the activity and stability of multiple mRNAs. Here, we will describe the regulatory RNAs from viruses that have been associated with cancer and how sRNAs in bacteria can be related to this disease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biogenesis, Function and Role of MicroRNA in Cancer)

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14 pages, 12461 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Regulation and Role of piRNAs and PIWI Proteins in Cancer

by Hyeseon Jeong, Kyung Hwan Park, Yuri Lee, Ayoung Jeong, Sooji Choi and Kyung Won Kim

Processes 2021, 9(7), 1208; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9071208 - 14 Jul 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3160

Abstract

P-element-induced wimpy testis (PIWI)-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are regulatory small non-coding RNAs that participate in transposon inactivation, chromatin regulation, and endogenous gene regulation. Numerous genetic and epigenetic factors regulate cell proliferation and tumor metastasis. PIWI proteins and piRNAs have been revealed to function in regulating upstream or downstream of oncogenes or tumor-suppressor genes in cancer tissues. In the present review, we summarize major recent findings in uncovering the regulation and role of PIWI proteins and piRNAs in tumorigenesis and highlight some of the promising applications of specific piRNAs in cancer therapeutics and as cancer biomarkers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biogenesis, Function and Role of MicroRNA in Cancer)

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23 pages, 1373 KiB

Open AccessReview

Competing Endogenous RNAs in Cervical Carcinogenesis: A New Layer of Complexity

by Fernanda Costa Brandão Berti, Sara Cristina Lobo-Alves, Camila de Freitas Oliveira-Toré, Amanda Salviano-Silva, Karen Brajão de Oliveira, Patrícia Savio de Araújo-Souza, Jong Kook Park, Gabriel Adelman Cipolla and Danielle Malheiros

Processes 2021, 9(6), 991; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9060991 - 03 Jun 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1746

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression by binding to complementary sequences within target mRNAs. Apart from working ‘solo’, miRNAs may interact in important molecular networks such as competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) axes. By competing for a limited pool of miRNAs, transcripts such as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs can regulate each other, fine-tuning gene expression. Several ceRNA networks led by different lncRNAs—described here as lncRNA-mediated ceRNAs—seem to play essential roles in cervical cancer (CC). By conducting an extensive search, we summarized networks involved in CC, highlighting the major impacts of such dynamic molecular changes over multiple cellular processes. Through the sponging of distinct miRNAs, some lncRNAs as HOTAIR, MALAT1, NEAT1, OIP5-AS1, and XIST trigger crucial molecular changes, ultimately increasing cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and inhibiting apoptosis. Likewise, several lncRNAs seem to be a sponge for important tumor-suppressive miRNAs (as miR-140-5p, miR-143-3p, miR-148a-3p, and miR-206), impairing such molecules from exerting a negative post-transcriptional regulation over target mRNAs. Curiously, some of the involved mRNAs code for important proteins such as PTEN, ROCK1, and MAPK1, known to modulate cell growth, proliferation, apoptosis, and adhesion in CC. Overall, we highlight important lncRNA-mediated functional interactions occurring in cervical cells and their closely related impact on cervical carcinogenesis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biogenesis, Function and Role of MicroRNA in Cancer)

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Graphical abstract

23 pages, 1295 KiB

Open AccessReview

Regulatory MicroRNAs in T2DM and Breast Cancer

by Ilhaam Ayaz Durrani, Attya Bhatti and Peter John

Processes 2021, 9(5), 819; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr9050819 - 08 May 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2519

Abstract

MicroRNAs orchestrate the tight regulation of numerous cellular processes and the deregulation in their activities has been implicated in many diseases, including diabetes and cancer. There is an increasing amount of epidemiological evidence associating diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes mellitus, to an elevated risk of various cancer types, including breast cancer. However, little is yet known about the underlying molecular mechanisms and even less about the role miRNAs play in driving the tumorigenic potential of the cell signaling underlying diabetes pathogenesis. This article reviews the role of miRNA in bridging the diabetes–breast cancer association by discussing specific miRNAs that are implicated in diabetes and breast cancer and highlighting the overlap between the disease-specific regulatory miRNA networks to identify a 20-miRNA signature that is common to both diseases. Potential therapeutic targeting of these molecular players may help to alleviate the socioeconomic burden on public health that is imposed by the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)–breast cancer association. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biogenesis, Function and Role of MicroRNA in Cancer)

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14 pages, 1442 KiB

Open AccessReview

MicroRNAs: Biogenesis, Functions and Potential Biomarkers for Early Screening, Prognosis and Therapeutic Molecular Monitoring of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

by Thuan Duc Lao and Thuy Ai Huyen Le

Processes 2020, 8(8), 966; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr8080966 - 11 Aug 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3534

Abstract

According to reports published, the aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of 19–25 nucleotide-long small non-coding RNAs, is responsible for human cancers, including nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). The dysregulation of miRNAs that act either as a tumor suppressor or oncogene, leading to a wide range of NPC pathogenesis pathways, includes the proliferation, invasion, migration as well as the metastasis of NPC cells. This article reviews and highlights recent advances in the studies of miRNAs in NPC, with a specific demonstration of the functions of miRNA, especially circulating miRNAs, in the pathway of NPC pathogenesis. Additionally, the possible use of miRNAs as early screening and prognostic biomarkers and for therapeutic molecular monitoring has been extensively studied. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biogenesis, Function and Role of MicroRNA in Cancer)

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