J. Cancer Mol. 5: 33-39, 2010

[Review Article]

The Role of MicroRNA in Tumor Invasion and Metastasis

Microgene Xia and Minghua Hu

Integrative Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China [M. Xia]; Department of Surgery, Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China [M. Hu]

Abstract:

Invasion and metastasis are the hallmarks of malignant tumors differing from benign diseases.  Most of cancer deaths are mainly due to the development of tumor metastasis rather than primary lesions.  Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms of invasion and metastasis that take place in malignant cells will provide insight into the development of new therapeutic approaches.  However, the complex processes of tumor invasion and metastasis pose a great difficulty in studying their molecular bases.  Recent studies have shown that a class of endogenous small non-protein coding RNAs, termed microRNAs (miRNAs), play an important role in invasion and metastasis of several malignancies, such as breast, liver, prostate and colorectal cancers.  In this review, we will summarize the recent studies on the miRNAs in tumor invasion and metastasis, and accentuate the role of miRNAs in elucidating molecular mechanisms of these important processes.

(Keywords: miRNA; invasion; metastasis)

Received 2/09/09; Revised 3/11/09; Accepted 3/24/09.

1. Correspondence: Dr. Microgene Xia, Integrative Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China, or Dr. Minghua Hu, Department of Surgery, Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241001, China. E-mail: microgene82@gmail.com (Microgene Xia) or medbodao@gmail.com (Minghua Hu)

2. Abbreviations: ECM, extracellular matrix; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; miRNA, microRNA; EMT, epithelial to mesenchymal transition; TGF, transforming growth factor; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; BT-IC, breast tumor-initiating cells.

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