MicroRNAs Involvement in Radioresistance of Head and Neck Cancer.
Resistance to the ionizing radiation is a current problem in the treatment and clinical management of various cancers including head and neck cancer. There are several biological and molecular mechanisms described to be responsible for resistance of the tumors to radiotherapy. Among them, the main mechanisms include alterations in intracellular pathways involved in DNA damage and repair, apoptosis, proliferation, and angiogenesis. It has been found that regulation of these complex processes is often controlled by microRNAs. MicroRNAs are short endogenous RNA molecules that posttranscriptionally modulate gene expression and their deregulated expression has been observed in many tumors including head and neck cancer. Specific expression patterns of microRNAs have also been shown to predict prognosis and therapeutic response in head and neck cancer. Therefore, microRNAs present promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets that might overcome resistance to radiation and improve prognosis of head and neck cancer patients. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the functional role of microRNAs in radioresistance of cancer with special focus on head and neck cancer.
Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
Parwez
P
Ahmad
Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
Jiri
0000-0003-1610-2215
J
Sana
Department of Radiation Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic.
Marek
M
Slavik
Department of Radiation Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic.
Pavel
P
Slampa
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, St. Anne's Faculty Hospital, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
Pavel
P
Smilek
Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
Ondrej
0000-0002-8450-0584
O
Slaby
D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D011836:Radiation Tolerance
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs