title: MicroRNAs as potential drug targets for therapeutic intervention in colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small (19 - 22 nucleotide), non-protein-coding RNA segments that function as master regulators of hundreds of genes simultaneously in both normal and malignant cells. In colorectal cancer (CRC) miRNAs are deregulated and have critical roles in initiation and progression of CRC by interacting with various oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes including APC, KRAS and p53, or by modulating downstream signal transduction pathways. Numerous promising miRNAs have emerged as potential drug targets for therapeutic intervention and possible candidates for replacement therapy in CRC.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this review the authors summarize the available information on miRNAs and their role in CRC. The authors point out specific miRNAs as potential drug targets and those having a significant role in gene activation and gene silencing during the process of CRC development, to highlight their importance as possible therapeutic candidates for the treatment of CRC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Targeting miRNAs provides an emerging opportunity to develop effective miRNA-based replacement therapy or antagonists to alter expression in colon cancer patient tumors. However, the biggest challenge is to overcome obstacles associated with pharmacokinetics, delivery and toxicity in order to translate the potential of miRNAs into efficacious anticancer drugs.
authors.affiliation: a 1 King Abdulaziz University, Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research , Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammad Alam
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jafri
authors.affiliation: a 1 King Abdulaziz University, Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research , Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Syed Kashif
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Zaidi
authors.affiliation: a 1 King Abdulaziz University, Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research , Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Shakeel Ahmed
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.affiliation: a 1 King Abdulaziz University, Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research , Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammed Hussein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Al-Qahtani
authors.affiliation: a 1 King Abdulaziz University, Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research , Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.|b 2 UT Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Cell Biology , Dallas, TX, USA +1 214 648 4201 ; +1 214 648 5814 ; Jerry.Shay@UTSouthwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Jerry W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Shay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D020868:Gene Silencing; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009857:Oncogenes / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: antagomirs; anti-microRNA oligonucleotides; colon cancer; genomic instability; microRNA dysregulation; microRNA mimics; microRNA silencing; replacement therapy