title: MicroRNA in prostate cancer: functional importance and potential as circulating biomarkers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This non-systematic review article aims to summarise the progress made in understanding the functional consequences of microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation in prostate cancer development, and the identification of potential miRNA targets as serum biomarkers for diagnosis or disease stratification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A number of miRNAs have been shown to influence key cellular processes involved in prostate tumourigenesis, including apoptosis-avoidance, cell proliferation and migration and the androgen signalling pathway. An overlapping group of miRNAs have shown differential expression in the serum of patients with prostate cancer of varying stages compared with unaffected individuals. The majority of studies thus far however, involve small numbers of patients and have shown variable and occasionally conflicting results
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MiRNAs show promise as potential circulating biomarkers in prostate cancer, but larger prospective studies are required to validate particular targets and better define their clinical utility.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Cancer Biology, University of Nottingham, Queens Medical Centre, Derby Road, Nottingham NG7 2UH, England. mrbljackson@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Benjamin L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grabowska
authors.forename: Hari L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Ratan
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D019175:DNA Methylation; D000071221:Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000378:metabolism; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; C529660:TMPRSS2-ETS fusion protein, human; C498409:EZH2 protein, human; D000071221:Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein; D063151:Polycomb Repressive Complex 2; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase