title: miR-214 as a key hub that controls cancer networks: small player, multiple functions.
abstract: MicroRNAs are short regulatory RNAs that are able to post-transcriptionally modulate gene expression and that have crucial roles in the control of physiological and pathological processes including cancer onset, growth, and progression. miR-214, located inside the sequence of the long noncoding Dmn3os transcript, contributes to the regulation of normal and cancer cell biology, even if it operates in a context-dependent and sometimes contradictory manner. miR-214 is deregulated in several human tumors including melanoma, breast, ovarian, gastric, and hepatocellular carcinomas. miR-214's pleiotropic and tumor-specific contribution to various cancer formation and progression hallmarks is achieved via its several target genes. In fact, miR-214 behaves as a key hub by coordinating fundamental signaling networks such as PTEN/AKT, β-catenin, and tyrosine kinase receptor pathways. Interestingly, miR-214 also regulates the levels of crucial gene expression modulators: the epigenetic repressor Ezh2, "genome guardian" p53, transcription factors TFAP2, and another microRNA, miR-148b. Thus, miR-214 seems to have essential roles in coordinating tumor proliferation, stemness, angiogenesis, invasiveness, extravasation, metastasis, resistance to chemotherapy, and microenvironment. The sum of current literature reports suggests that miR-214 is a molecular hub involved in the control of cancer networks and, as such, could be a potential diagnostic/prognostic biomarker and target for therapeutic intervention.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC), Torino, Italy; Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Penna
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC), Torino, Italy; Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Torino, Italy; Center for Molecular Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Orso
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biotechnology Center (MBC), Torino, Italy; Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Torino, Italy; Center for Molecular Systems Biology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy. Electronic address: daniela.taverna@unito.it.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Taverna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D018450:Disease Progression; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000502:physiology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C547397:MIRN214 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs