title: The roles of microRNAs in the regulation of tumor metastasis.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding regulatory RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally by either inhibiting protein translation or degrading target mRNAs. The differential expression profiles of miRNAs in different types of cancers and in the multi-step process of tumor progression indicate that miRNAs are involved in tumor onset, growth and progression. Metastasis is the most common cause of cancer-related mortality. Current evidence demonstrates that aberrant miRNA expression promotes or inhibits tumor metastasis by modulating the expression of numerous target genes. Therefore, the identification of metastasis-related miRNAs and a better understanding of the complex functions of miRNAs in tumor metastasis will provide potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as therapeutic targets for clinical application. Here, we review the functions of miRNAs in the control of multiple steps of tumor metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital, Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004 China.|Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029 China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital, Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004 China.|Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Chronic Liver Disease and Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Zhongshan Hospital, Medical College, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004 China.
authors.forename: Xiaomin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China.
authors.forename: Gaoliang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ouyang
keywords: Cancer; Cancer stem cell; Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Metastasis; microRNA