The Role of Hypoxia-Induced miR-210 in Cancer Progression

• Main Authors: Kyvan Dang, Kenneth A. Myers
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2015-03-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: miR-210; hypoxia; microRNA; apoptosis; angiogenesis; cancer
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/16/3/6353

Prolonged hypoxia, the event of insufficient oxygen, is known to upregulate tumor development and growth by promoting the formation of a neoplastic environment. The recent discovery that a subset of cellular microRNAs (miRs) are upregulated during hypoxia, where they function to promote tumor development, highlights the importance of hypoxia-induced miRs as targets for continued investigation. miRs are short, non-coding transcripts involved in gene expression and regulation. Under hypoxic conditions, miR-210 becomes highly upregulated in response to hypoxia inducing factors (HIFs). HIF-1α drives miR-210’s overexpression and the resultant alteration of cellular processes, including cell cycle regulation, mitochondria function, apoptosis, angiogenesis and metastasis. Here we discuss hypoxia-induced dysregulation of miR-210 and the resultant changes in miR-210 protein targets that regulate cancer progression. Potential methods of targeting miR-210 as a therapeutic tool are also explored.