MicroRNA modulators of epigenetic regulation, the tumor microenvironment and the immune system in lung cancer.
Cancer is an exceedingly complex disease that is orchestrated and driven by a combination of multiple aberrantly regulated processes. The nature and depth of involvement of individual events vary between cancer types, and in lung cancer, the deregulation of the epigenetic machinery, the tumor microenvironment and the immune system appear to be especially relevant. The contribution of microRNAs to carcinogenesis and cancer progression is well established with many reports and investigations describing the involvement of microRNAs in lung cancer, however most of these studies have concentrated on single microRNA-target relations and have not adequately addressed the complexity of their interactions. In this review, we focus, in part, on the role of microRNAs in the epigenetic regulation of lung cancer where they act as active molecules modulating enzymes that take part in methylation-mediated silencing and chromatin remodeling. Additionally, we highlight their contribution in controlling and modulating the tumor microenvironment and finally, we describe their role in the critical alteration of essential molecules that influence the immune system in lung cancer development and progression.
Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 13, Białystok, 15-269, Poland. a.rusek@dkfz-heidelberg.de.|Department of Experimental Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Theodor Kutzer Ufer 1-3, 68135, Mannheim, Germany. a.rusek@dkfz-heidelberg.de.|Molecular Oncology of Solid Tumors, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Centre), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. a.rusek@dkfz-heidelberg.de.
Anna Maria
AM
Rusek
Department of Experimental Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Theodor Kutzer Ufer 1-3, 68135, Mannheim, Germany. m.abba@Dkfz-Heidelberg.de.|Molecular Oncology of Solid Tumors, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Centre), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. m.abba@Dkfz-Heidelberg.de.
Mohammed
M
Abba
Department of Regenerative Medicine and Immune Regulation, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Waszyngtona 13, Białystok, 15-269, Poland. andrzej.eljaszewicz@umb.edu.pl.
Andrzej
A
Eljaszewicz
Department of Regenerative Medicine and Immune Regulation, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Waszyngtona 13, Białystok, 15-269, Poland. marcin.moniuszko@umb.edu.pl.
Marcin
M
Moniuszko
Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 13, Białystok, 15-269, Poland. niklinsj@umb.edu.pl.
Jacek
J
Niklinski
Department of Experimental Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Theodor Kutzer Ufer 1-3, 68135, Mannheim, Germany. heike.allgayer@medma.uni-heidelberg.de.|Molecular Oncology of Solid Tumors, DKFZ (German Cancer Research Centre), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. heike.allgayer@medma.uni-heidelberg.de.
Heike
H
Allgayer
D000818:Animals; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D056747:Immunomodulation; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*
D035683:MicroRNAs