MicroRNAs in cancer biology and therapy: Current status and perspectives

The study of a class of small non-coding RNA molecules, named microRNAs (miRNAs), has advanced our understanding of many of the fundamental processes of cancer biology and the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor initiation and progression. MiRNA research has become more and more attractive as evidence is emerging that miRNAs likely play important regulatory roles virtually in all essential bioprocesses. Looking at this field over the past decade it becomes evident that our understanding of miRNAs remains rather incomplete. As research continues to reveal the mechanisms underlying cancer therapy efficacy, it is clear that miRNAs contribute to responses to drug therapy and are themselves modified by drug therapy. One important area for miRNA research is to understand the functions of miRNAs and the relevant signaling pathways in the initiation, progression and drug-resistance of tumors to be able to design novel, effective targeted therapeutics that directly target pathologically essential miRNAs and/or their target genes. Another area of increasing importance is the use of miRNA signatures in the diagnosis and prognosis of various types of cancers. As the study of non-coding RNAs is increasingly more popular and important, it is without doubt that the next several years of miRNA research will provide more fascinating results.