title: Possible carcinogenesis of tumor suppressor let-7.
abstract: Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a group showing high capacities of sphere-forming and self renewal, are blamed for tumor initiation, recurrence and therapy resistance. Therefore, therapeutics specifically targeting and perishing CSCs may be promising. Let-7 miRNAs, one of the earliest discovered miRNAs, were considered as novel and vital agents to eliminate cancer and CSCs. However, in recent researches, many regulatory loops among let-7 and its targeted genes were noticed; the regulation of let-7 caused by its hunting mRNAs helped to form the hypotheses that hunters and preys may swap their roles when in confrontations. Besides, the evil side of let-7 was discovered occasionally, therefore, we hypothesize that dual characteristics of let-7 do exist, which will have significant impacts on anticancer research. Targeted therapies against cancer and CSCs by using let-7 or other miRNAs as weapons should be thought twice before clinical application.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710061, PR China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D025461:Feedback, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D009857:Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; C487931:mirnlet7 microRNA, human