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J.
Cancer Mol. 4: 79-89, 2008
[Review Article]
Great Potential of MicroRNA in Cancer Stem Cell
MicroGene H. P. Xia
Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Abstract:
MicroRNA (miRNA) and cancer stem cell (CSC) are two scientific areas of
intense interest at present. miRNAs are a class of endogenous, small
non-protein coding RNA molecules, which are crucial post-transcriptional
regulators of gene expression. miRNAs participate in a wide range of
biological functions, including cellular proliferation, differentiation
and apoptosis. Therefore, miRNAs play an important role in various
human diseases, including cancer. CSCs are those cells within a tumor
that possesses the capacity to self-renew and differentiate to cause the
heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells that comprise the tumor. CSCs
are regarded as the root of cancer origin and recurrence. Many studies
have shown that the important roles of miRNAs in various cancers as well
as self-renewal and differentiation of embryonic and tissue-specific
stem cells. miRNAs would also have crucial regulatory roles in CSCs, a
kind of tumor initiating cells. Therefore, these fields have been cited
as important advancements because of their potential to further
elucidate diseases and therapeutic perspective. This review will
attempt to summarize the recent progress about miRNAs in cancers as well
as stem cells, and to prospect the great potential of miRNAs in CSCs.
(Keywords:
microRNA; cancer stem
cells; embryonic stem cells)
Received 5/17/08; Revised 7/12/08; Accepted 7/16/08.
1Correspondence:
Dr. MicroGene H. P. Xia, Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong
Kong, Pokfulam Road,
Hong Kong, China. Fax: 852-28171006. E-mail:
microgene82@gmail.com
2Abbreviations:
ES, embryonic
stem cell; CSC, cancer stem cell; miRNA, microRNA; siRNA, small
interfering RNA; CSC, cancer stem cell; SP, side population; BT-IC,
breast tumor-initiating cell.
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