MicroRNAs – important molecules in lung cancer research

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are important regulators of gene expression. They are involved in many physiological processes ensuring the cellular homeostasis of human cells. Alterations of the miRNA expression have increasingly been associated with pathophysiological changes of cancer cells making miRNAs curre...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Petra eLeidinger, Andreas eKeller, Eckart eMeese
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2012-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Genetics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fgene.2011.00104/full
Description
Summary:MicroRNAs (miRNA) are important regulators of gene expression. They are involved in many physiological processes ensuring the cellular homeostasis of human cells. Alterations of the miRNA expression have increasingly been associated with pathophysiological changes of cancer cells making miRNAs currently to one of the most analyzed molecules in cancer research. Here we provide an overview of miRNAs in lung cancer. Specifically, we address biological functions of miRNAs in lung cancer cells, miRNA signatures generated from tumor tissue and from patients’ body fluids, the potential of miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for lung cancer, and its role as therapeutical target.
ISSN:1664-8021