title: MicroRNAs and the Response of Prostate Cancer to Anti-Cancer Drugs.
abstract: Despite considerable advances in early diagnosis, prostate cancer (PCa) remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men in western countries. In fact, although efficient therapies exist for early-stage disease, the treatment of advanced PCa remains unsuccessful mainly due to its poor responsiveness to anti-cancer agents. This evidence underlines the urgent need for the development of novel and more effective therapeutic approaches. In this context, the documented dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs)--which are short non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at post-transcriptional level- in PCa, together with their potential to simultaneously regulate multiple oncogenic/ tumor-suppressive pathways, has stimulated interest in defining a functional association between altered expression of specific miRNAs and the response of PCa to anti-cancer agents. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview on PCa-related miRNAs as potential novel therapeutic targets/tools, with a special focus on the role that they may play in conditioning the responsiveness of PCa to anti-cancer drugs.
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pennati
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Folini
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gandellini
authors.affiliation: Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milano, Italy. nadia.zaffaroni@istitutotumori.mi.it.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zaffaroni
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs