title: MicroRNA-221 and -222 pathway controls melanoma progression.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a new family of small noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression. Recent studies demonstrated miRNA involvement in all the main biological processes, including tumor development as a consequence of an aberrant deregulated expression. Growing evidence is showing the capability of miRNA expression profiles to unequivocally distinguish between normal and neoplastic tissues, leading to the identification of new diagnostic and/or prognostic molecular markers. In addition, miRNAs might eventually represent new targets to aim at as innovative therapeutic approaches, particularly relevant in those types of cancer, such as melanoma, which are still lacking effective traditional therapies. In particular, the inhibition of miRNA-221 and -222, which are abnormally expressed in melanoma and favor the induction of the malignant phenotype by downregulating c-KIT receptor and p27Kip, might in the future represent an efficient treatment for translation into the clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore Sanità, Rome, Italy. federica.felicetti@iss.it
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Felicetti
authors.forename: M Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Errico
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Segnalini
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mattia
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carè
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; C525709:MIR221, human; C525710:MIR222, human