title: microRNAs in breast cancer development and treatment.
abstract: microRNAs (herein after miRNAs) represent a recently uncovered class of small and endogenous non-coding RNAs. miRNAs play a well conserved and crucial role in normal biological processes, such as cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis through a complicated gene regulation networking. The recent rise of interest in miRNAs in cancer research is ascribed to the breakthrough of their role in many pathological processes, including malignant transformation. miRNAs signatures have been clearly defined for certain types of cancer, with correlation to tumor aggressiveness, therapy response and patient outcome. Furthermore, the use of miRNAs as therapeutic targets for cancer is currently under investigation. The aim of this review is to focus on the role of miRNAs in breast cancer development and to summarize the evidence for their potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: danila.serpico@istitutotumori.mi.it.
authors.forename: Danila
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Serpico
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: leonardo.molino@istitutotumori.mi.it.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Molino
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Via Giacomo Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: serena.dicosimo@istitutotumori.mi.it.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Cosimo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Biomarkers; Breast cancer; Targeted therapy; microRNAs