title: Identification of links between small molecules and miRNAs in human cancers based on transcriptional responses.
abstract: The use of small molecules to target miRNAs is a new type of therapy for human diseases, particularly cancers. We proposed a novel high-throughput approach to identify the biological links between small molecules and miRNAs in 23 different cancers and constructed the Small Molecule-MiRNA Network (SMirN) for each cancer to systematically analyze the properties of their associations. In each SMirN, we partitioned small molecules (miRNAs) into modules, in which small molecules (miRNAs) were connected with one miRNA (small molecule). Almost all of the miRNA modules comprised miRNAs that had similar target genes and functions or were members of the same miRNA family. Most of the small molecule modules involved compounds with similar chemical structures, modes of action, or drug interactions. These modules can be used to identify drug candidates and new indications for existing drugs. Therefore, our approach is valuable to drug discovery and cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology and State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150081, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xiaowen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mingzhi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Baofeng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.forename: Lihong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fanlin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Xinyi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiujie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs