title: Circulating microRNAs: potential biomarkers for common malignancies.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) belong to a class of small noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), which regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. They are approximately 22 nucleotide sequences in length and have been predicted to control expression of up to 30-60% of all protein-coding genes in mammals. Considering this wide involvement in gene control, aberrant miRNA expression has a strong association with the presence and progression of a disease, hence generating much anticipation in using miRNAs as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of human cancers. The majority of these miRNAs are intracellular, but recently they have been discovered in bodily fluids. This review will provide an insight into these circulatory miRNA molecules and discuss their potential as cancer biomarkers.
authors.affiliation: School of Medical & Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khoury
authors.forename: Nham
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tran
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: cancer; circulating microRNA; diagnostic biomarkers; prognostic biomarkers