title: MicroRNAs as regulators of apoptosis mechanisms in cancer.
abstract: MicroRNAs or miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. Their discovery has brought new knowledge in biological processes of cancer. Involvement of miRNAs in cancer development includes several major pathways from cell transformation to tumor cell development, metastasis and resistance to treatment. The first part of this review discusses miRNAs function in the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis. Due to the fact that many miRNAs that regulate apoptosis have been shown to play a major role in tumor cell resistance to treatment, in the second part of the review we aim at discussing miRNAs potential in becoming curative molecules.
authors.affiliation: The Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pileczki
authors.affiliation: The Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Faculty of Biology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cojocneanu-Petric
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine Department, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mahafarin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maralani
authors.affiliation: The Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Ioana Berindan
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Neagoe
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sandulescu
keywords: apoptosis; cancer; cancer therapy; microRNAs