title: microRNA-7: a tumor suppressor miRNA with therapeutic potential.
abstract: microRNAs are a family of endogenous, short, non-coding RNAs that play critical roles in regulating gene expression for key cellular processes in normal and abnormal physiology. microRNA-7 is a 23 nucleotide miRNA whose expression is tightly regulated and restricted predominantly to the brain, spleen and pancreas. Reduced levels of miR-7 have been linked to the development of cancer and metastasis. As a tumor suppressor, miR-7 functions to co-ordinately downregulate a number of direct (e.g. the epidermal growth factor receptor) and indirect (e.g. phospho-Akt) growth promoting targets to decrease tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. In addition, miR-7 can increase the sensitivity of treatment-resistant cancer cells to therapeutics and inhibit metastasis. These data suggest that replacement of miR-7 ('miRNA replacement therapy') for specific human cancers could represent a new treatment approach. This article is part of a Directed Issue entitled: The Non-coding RNA Revolution.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cancer Medicine, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and University of Western Australia Centre for Medical Research, Perth, WA 6000, Australia.
authors.forename: Felicity C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Kalinowski
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cancer Medicine, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and University of Western Australia Centre for Medical Research, Perth, WA 6000, Australia.
authors.forename: Rikki A M
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cancer Medicine, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and University of Western Australia Centre for Medical Research, Perth, WA 6000, Australia.
authors.forename: Clarissa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ganda
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Giles
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cancer Medicine, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and University of Western Australia Centre for Medical Research, Perth, WA 6000, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Epis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cancer Medicine, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and University of Western Australia Centre for Medical Research, Perth, WA 6000, Australia; School of Medicine and Pharmacology, the University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horsham
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cancer Medicine, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and University of Western Australia Centre for Medical Research, Perth, WA 6000, Australia; School of Medicine and Pharmacology, the University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia. Electronic address: peter.leedman@perkins.uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Leedman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; C549242:MIRN7-1 microRNA, human; C549243:MIRN7 microRNA, mouse
keywords: Cancer; Epidermal growth factor receptor; Tumor suppressor; microRNA-7