title: Function and significance of MicroRNAs in benign and malignant human stem cells.
abstract: MicroRNAs now not only represent a significant mechanism for post-transcriptional gene regulation, but have come to be appreciated as molecules with far reaching tentacles affecting diverse processes and pathologies by modulating amongst others, cellular gene expression, epigentic mechanisms, complex signaling cascades, cell-cell communication, the immune system and microenvironmental interactions between several cell types, tissues and organ systems. In this review, we systematically reflect on the impact of miRNAs on all types of benign and malignant human stem cells, looking at the roles they play in maintaining or changing the stem cell state, and review how aberrations of their expression and function within diverse types of stem cells orchestrate carcinogenesis and metastasis. As a conclusion, we consider it striking to see how similar some miR-driven mechanisms are between different types of stem cells and cancer cells, and how this might support hypotheses of miR-driven embryologic pathway reactivation in metastasis or propose putative functions of miRs in important novel cross-topic fields such as obesity and cancer.
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69121 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Theodor Kutzer Ufer 1-3, 68135 Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Utikal
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Theodor Kutzer Ufer 1-3, 68135 Mannheim, Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, Germany; Centre for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim (CBTM), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ludolf-Krehl-Str. 6, 68135 Mannheim, Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abba
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69121 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Theodor Kutzer Ufer 1-3, 68135 Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.affiliation: Department of Regenerative Medicine and Immune Regulation, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Waszyngtona 13, Białystok 15-269, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moniuszko
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Theodor Kutzer Ufer 1-3, 68135 Mannheim, Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, Germany; Centre for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim (CBTM), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ludolf-Krehl-Str. 6, 68135 Mannheim, Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: heike.allgayer@medma.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Allgayer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Cancer stem cells; ES; IPS; MSC; Metastasis; Stem cells; microRNAs