Open AccessMiR-135a biogenesis and regulation in malignancy: a new hope for cancer research and therapy
Author(s) -
Zhe Cao,
Jiangdong Qiu,
Gang Yang,
Yueze Liu,
Wenhao Luo,
Lei You,
Lianfang Zheng,
Taiping Zhang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
cancer biology and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.517
H-Index - 42
ISSN - 2095-3941
DOI - 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2020.0033
Subject(s) - microrna , cancer , cancer research , biomarker , biogenesis , signal transduction , cancer cell , mapk/erk pathway , malignancy , medicine , biology , bioinformatics , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved small non-coding RNAs that affect posttranscriptional regulation by binding to the 3'-untranslated region of target messenger RNAs. MiR-135a is a critical miRNA that regulates gene expression, and many studies have focused on its function in cancer research. MiR-135a is dysregulated in various cancers and regulates cancer cell proliferation and invasion via several signaling pathways, such as the MAPK and JAK2/STAT3 pathways. MiR-135a has also been found to promote or inhibit the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and chemoresistance in different cancers. Several studies have discovered the value of miR-135a as a novel biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. These studies have suggested the potential of therapeutically manipulating miR-135a to improve the outcome of cancer patients. Although these findings have demonstrated the role of miR-135a in cancer progression and clinical applications, a number of questions remain to be answered, such as the dual functional roles of miR-135a in cancer. In this review, we summarize the available studies regarding miR-135a and cancer, including background on the biogenesis and expression of miR-135a in cancer and relevant signaling pathways involved in miR-135a-mediated tumor progression. We also focus on the clinical application of miR-135a as a biomarker in diagnosis and as a therapeutic agent or target in cancer treatment, which will provide a greater level of insight into the translational value of miR-135a.