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Circulating microRNAs in digestive system malignancies
Yu-Lin Luo, Mei-Ping Ren, Mao Luo
Yu-Lin Luo, Mei-Ping Ren, Mao Luo, Drug Discovery Research Center, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China.
Supported by: Scientific Research Fund of Sichuan Provincial Education Department, No. 16ZA0178; and the Foundation of Luzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau of Sichuan Province, No. 2016LZXNYD-J24, No. 2016-R-70(11/24) and No. 2016-R-70(8/24).
Correspondence to: Mao Luo, Associate Researcher, Drug Discovery Research Center, Southwest Medical University, 319 Zhongshan Road, Jiangyang District, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China. luomao20050908@163.com
Received: March 18, 2017 Revised: April 11, 2017 Accepted: April 17, 2017 Published online: June 8, 2017
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs (21-25 nt) that regulate mRNA expression at the post-transcriptional level and play important oncogenic or tumor-suppressing roles. Specific miRNA expression profiles have been identified in various types of cancer patients. Recent studies have found that cell-free miRNAs can stably survive in plasma and serum, and their presence in blood has attracted the attention of researchers due to their potential as non-invasive biomarkers. Circulating miRNAs have emerged as tumor-related biomarkers that can not only reflect the presence of tumors in early stages, but also detect tumor development, recurrence, and drug sensitivity. This methodology for liquid biopsy provides non-invasive and regenerative biomarkers and offers a novel treatment strategy for individual cancer patients. This article reviews the recent progress in research of circulating miRNAs in digestive system malignancies, and discusses the potential use of circulating miRNAs as diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets.
Key Words: Circulating microRNA; Non-invasive; Biomarker; Digestive system cancer
Citation: Luo YL, Ren MP, Luo M. Circulating microRNAs in digestive system malignancies. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2017; 25(16): 1446-1453
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