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Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Sep 15, 2021; 13(9): 995-1016
Published online Sep 15, 2021. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v13.i9.995
MicroRNA expression in inflammatory bowel disease-associated colorectal cancer
Thais Gagno Grillo, Ana Elisa Valencise Quaglio, Rodrigo Fedatto Beraldo, Talles Bazeia Lima, Julio Pinheiro Baima, Luiz Claudio Di Stasi, Ligia Yukie Sassaki
Thais Gagno Grillo, Rodrigo Fedatto Beraldo, Talles Bazeia Lima, Julio Pinheiro Baima, Ligia Yukie Sassaki, Department of Internal Medicine, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Medical School, Botucatu 18618-686, São Paulo, Brazil
Ana Elisa Valencise Quaglio, Luiz Claudio Di Stasi, Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Institute of Biosciences, Botucatu 18618-689, São Paulo, Brazil
Author contributions: All authors contributed to this manuscript; Grillo TG, Quaglio AEV, Beraldo RF, Lima TB, Baima JP, Di Stasi LC and Sassaki LY contributed to the conception of the study, acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article, revising it critically for important intellectual content, and final approval of the version to be submitted.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors state that they have no conflicts of interest regarding this review.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ligia Yukie Sassaki, MD, PhD, Academic Research, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Medical School, s/n. Bairro: Rubião Junior, Botucatu 18618-686, São Paulo, Brazil. ligia.sassaki@unesp.br
Received: February 21, 2021
Peer-review started: February 21, 2021
First decision: May 8, 2021
Revised: May 30, 2021
Accepted: July 27, 2021
Article in press: July 27, 2021
Published online: September 15, 2021
Processing time: 200 Days and 18.3 Hours
Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNA molecules composed of 19–25 nucleotides that regulate gene expression and play a central role in the regulation of several immune-mediated disorders, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). IBD, represented by ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, is characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). CRC is one of the most prevalent tumors in the world, and its main risk factors are obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, alcoholism, advanced age, and some eating habits, in addition to chronic intestinal inflammatory processes and the use of immunosuppressants administered to IBD patients. Recent studies have identified miRNAs associated with an increased risk of developing CRC in this population. The identification of miRNAs involved in this tumorigenic process could be useful to stratify cancer risk development for patients with IBD and to monitor and assess prognosis. Thus, the present review aimed to summarize the role of miRNAs as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of IBD-associated CRC. In the future, therapies based on miRNA modulation could be used both in clinical practice to achieve remission of the disease and restore the quality of life for patients with IBD, and to identify the patients with IBD at high risk for tumor development.

Keywords: MicroRNA; Colorectal cancer; Inflammatory bowel disease; Crohn's disease; Ulcerative colitis; Cancer; Diagnosis; Prognosis; Targets

Core Tip: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), represented by ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, are characterized by recurrent chronic intestinal inflammation associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules, composed of 19 to 25 nucleotides, which can regulate gene expression and play an important role in regulating cellular processes. Altered expression of these molecules is related to the progression of inflammation and an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Thus, the aim of the present review was to evaluate the role of miRNAs as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of IBD-associated CRC.