title: Regulation of hepatocarcinogenesis by microRNAs.
abstract: Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC) is a major malignancy worldwide. Etiologically, hepatocarcinogenesis is closely associated with HBV and HCV infections; however, its underlying molecular mechanism is not completely understood. MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression by interacting with the 3'UTR of protein-coding mRNA. MicroRNAs are implicated in nearly all major biological and cellular events, and recent findings further link microRNA deregulation to human carcinogenesis. In this review, we will focus on the aberrant expression of miRNAs in liver cancer and the pathological implications and molecular functions of some well-characterized oncogenic and tumor suppressive miRNAs. Finally, the clinical prospect of miRNAs as a novel diagnostic and therapeutic intervention will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Pathology Building, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Chun-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Alan Ka-Lun
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kai
authors.forename: Felice Ho-Ching
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: Irene Oi-Lin
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Ng
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs