title: Circulating microRNAs: new biomarkers in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of cancer (review).
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding, endogenous, single-stranded RNAs.             MiRNAs have been implicated in different areas such as the immune response, neural             development, DNA repair, apoptosis, oxidative stress response and cancer. However,             while the majority of miRNAs are found intracellularly, a significant number of             miRNAs have been observed outside of cells, including various body fluids. Circulating             miRNAs function as 'extracellular communication RNAs' that play an important role             in cell proliferation and differentiation. MiRNA regulation is essential to many             cellular processes, and escape from this regulatory network seems to be a common             characteristic of several disease processes and malignant transformation. The             interest in circulating miRNAs reflects in fact their central role in regulation             of gene expression and the implication of miRNA-specific aberrant expression in             the pathogenesis of cancer, cardiac, metabolic, neurologic, immune-related diseases             as well as others. In our review we aimed to summarize the data related to the             action of cellular miRNAs on the onset of various diseases, thus bringing together             some of the latest information available on the role of circulating miRNAs. Additionally,             the role of circulating miRNAs could be particularly relevant in the context of             neoplastic diseases. At least 79 miRNAs have been reported as plasma or serum             miRNA biomarkers of solid and hematologic tumors. Circulating miRNA profiling             could improve the diagnosis of cancer, and could predict outcome for cancer patients,             while the profiling of alterations in circulating miRNA that may signal a predisposition             to cancer, could also be a therapeutic target in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology, University of Messina, I-98125 Messina,                     Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Allegra
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alonci
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Campo
authors.forename: Giuseppa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Penna
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrungaro
authors.forename: Demetrio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gerace
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Musolino
mesh_terms: D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002450:Cell Communication; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs