Circulating plant miRNAs can regulate human gene expression in vitro.
While Brassica oleracea vegetables have been linked to cancer prevention, the exact mechanism remains unknown. Regulation of gene expression by cross-species microRNAs has been previously reported; however, its link to cancer suppression remains unexplored. In this study we address both issues. We confirm plant microRNAs in human blood in a large nutrigenomics study cohort and in a randomized dose-controlled trial, finding a significant positive correlation between the daily amount of broccoli consumed and the amount of microRNA in the blood. We also demonstrate that Brassica microRNAs regulate expression of human genes and proteins in vitro, and that microRNAs cooperate with other Brassica-specific compounds in a possible cancer-preventive mechanism. Combined, we provide strong evidence and a possible multimodal mechanism for broccoli in cancer prevention.
IBM Life Sciences Discovery Centre, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Chiara
C
Pastrello
IBM Life Sciences Discovery Centre, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Mike
M
Tsay
Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Rosanne
R
McQuaid
IBM Life Sciences Discovery Centre, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Mark
M
Abovsky
IBM Life Sciences Discovery Centre, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|CRO Aviano National Cancer Institute, Cancer Bio-Immunotherapy Unit, Aviano, PN, Italy.
Elisa
E
Pasini
IBM Life Sciences Discovery Centre, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Elize
E
Shirdel
IBM Life Sciences Discovery Centre, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Marc
M
Angeli
IBM Life Sciences Discovery Centre, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Tomas
T
Tokar
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Joseph
J
Jamnik
IBM Life Sciences Discovery Centre, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Max
M
Kotlyar
Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Andrea
A
Jurisicova
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Joanne
J
Kotsopoulos
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Ahmed
A
El-Sohemy
IBM Life Sciences Discovery Centre, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Departments of Medical Biophysics and Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
Igor
I
Jurisica