Therapeutic targeting of overexpressed miRNAs in cancer progression

Curr Drug Targets. 2022 Jun 13. doi: 10.2174/1389450123666220613163906. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTMicroRNAs [miRNAs] are non-coding RNAs involved in the modulation of various biological processes and its dysregulation is greatly associated with cancer progression as miRNAs can act as either tumour suppressors or oncogenes, depending on their intended target, mechanism of actions and expression levels. Thereby, this review paper aims to shed light on the role of overexpressed miRNAs in cancer progression. Cancer cells are known to upregulate specific miRNAs to inhibit the expression of genes regulating cell cycle such as PTEN, FOXO1, SOX7, caspases, KLF4, TRIM8 and ZBTB4. Inhibition of these genes promotes cancer development and survival by inducing cell growth, migration and invasion while evading apoptosis, which leads to poor cancer survival rates. Therefore, the potential of antisense miRNAs in treating cancer is also explored in this review. Antisense miRNAs are chemically modified oligonucleotides that can reverse the action of overexpressed miRNAs. Currently, the therapeutic potential of antisense miRNAs is being validated in both in vitro and in vivo models. Studies showed that antisense miRNAs can slow down the progression of cancer while enhancing the action of conventional anticancer drugs. These findings provide hope for future oncologic care as this novel intervention is getting closer to clinical translation.PMID:35702768 | DOI:10.2174/13894501236662206131639...
Source: Current Drug Targets - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Source Type: research