title: miRNAs in cancer prevention and treatment and as molecular targets for natural product anticancer agents.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by binding to the 3´untranslated region of target mRNA, resulting in posttranscriptional gene silencing via mRNA degradation or translation inhibition. miRNAs are involved in many biological processes including carcinogenesis. They can act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors and their aberrant expressions are intimately linked with cancer development and progression. Therefore, miRNAs have been utilized as potential biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, as well as cancer therapeutic targets. Recently, it has been demonstrated that dietary and natural chemopreventive agents exert their anticancer activities through the regulation of one or more miRNAs. In addition to expounding the latest findings of miRNAs in cancer, this review also discusses the recent efforts on the translational research of miRNAs, with an emphasis on natural products in the treatment of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Huan Hu Xi Rd, He Xi District, Tianjin, 300060, PR China. qianbiyun@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Biyun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Subhasree A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Nag
authors.forename: Yuliang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Sukesh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Voruganti
authors.forename: Jiang-Jiang
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Ruiwen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: William C S
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D034622:RNA Interference
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs