title: The molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential of microRNA-7 in cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing evidence supports that microRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in cancer through post-transcriptional gene silencing of their target genes, therefore, more and more effort has been devoted to develop miRNA-targeting therapeutics in cancer. MicroRNA-7 (miR-7) has been characterized as a potential tumor suppressor and regulates diverse fundamental biological processes of cancer cells including initiation, proliferation, migration, invasion, survival and death by targeting a number of oncogenic signaling pathways.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review examines evidence of the biological responses of miR-7 in cancer, with an emphasis on its regulation of the vital oncogenic signaling pathways. It also discusses the rationale, strategies and challenges of miR-7 as a potential therapeutic target for cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the increasing understanding of molecular mechanisms of miR-7-mediated regulatory networks and the advancement of miRNA-based therapeutics, targeting miR-7 may be a potential and promising strategy for cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Experimental Research Center , Shanghai 201620 , PR China +86 21 37798755 ; +86 21 37798276 ; TL09168@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Dian-Na
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D034622:RNA Interference; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; C549242:MIRN7-1 microRNA, human
keywords: cancer cell signaling; microRNA; microRNA-7; microRNA-based therapeutics; post-transcriptional regulation