miRNAs, Melanoma and Microenvironment: An Intricate Network

• Main Authors: Gabriele Romano, Lawrence N. Kwong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2017-11-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: miRNA; melanoma; tumor microenvironment; epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT); immune system; hypoxia; metabolism
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/18/11/2354

miRNAs are central players in cancer biology and they play a pivotal role in mediating the network communication between tumor cells and their microenvironment. In melanoma, miRNAs can impair or facilitate a wide array of processes, and here we will focus on: the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), the immune milieu, and metabolism. Multiple miRNAs can affect the EMT process, even at a distance, for example through exosome-mediated mechanisms. miRNAs also strongly act on some components of the immune system, regulating the activity of key elements such as antigen presenting cells, and can facilitate an immune evasive/suppressive phenotype. miRNAs are also involved in the regulation of metabolic processes, specifically in response to hypoxic stimuli where they can mediate the metabolic switch from an oxidative to a glycolytic metabolism. Overall, this review discusses and summarizes recent findings on miRNA regulation in the melanoma tumor microenvironment, analyzing their potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications.