title: MicroRNAs as novel targets and tools in cancer therapy.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are currently experiencing a renewed peak of attention not only as diagnostics but also especially as highly promising novel targets or tools for clinical therapy in several different malignant diseases. Moreover, the recent discovery of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) as novel miRNA-regulators has contributed exciting insights in this regard. Therefore, this review summarizes and discusses the latest findings on (1) how miRNAs have become therapeutic targets of diverse synthetic antagonists, (2) how novel endogenous regulators of miRNAs such as ceRNAs or pseudogenes could emerge as therapeutics scavenging oncogenic miRNAs and (3) how miRNAs themselves are already, and will increasingly be, used as therapeutics. Recent advances on the importance of miRNA-target affinity and the subcellular localization of miRNAs are also discussed. The potential of these developments in different tumor entities and particular hallmarks of cancer such as metastasis, disease progression, interactions with the tumor microenvironment, or cancer stem cells are equally highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, and Center for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim (CBTM), Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Ludolf-Krehl-Str. 6, 68135 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Mohammed L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Abba
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, and Center for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim (CBTM), Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Ludolf-Krehl-Str. 6, 68135 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, and Center for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim (CBTM), Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Ludolf-Krehl-Str. 6, 68135 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Leupold
authors.affiliation: Department of Regenerative Medicine and Immune Regulation, Medical University of Bialystok, ul. Waszyngtona 13, 15-269 Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moniuszko
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69121 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Theodor Kutzer Ufer 1-3, 68135 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Utikal
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, Medical University of Bialystok, Waszyngtona 13, Bialystok 15-269, Poland.
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niklinski
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, and Center for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim (CBTM), Ruprecht-Karls University of Heidelberg, Ludolf-Krehl-Str. 6, 68135 Mannheim, Germany. Electronic address: heike.allgayer@medma.uni-heidelberg.de.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Allgayer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy*; D009857:Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Cancer; Metastasis; Stem cells; Therapy; microRNAs