MicroRNA functional network in pancreatic cancer: From biology to biomarkers of disease.
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Date
2011-08
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Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRs), the 17- to 25-nucleotide-long non-coding RNAs, regulate expression of approximately 30% of
the protein-coding genes at the post-transcriptional level and have emerged as critical components of the complex
functional pathway networks controlling important cellular processes, such as proliferation, development,
differentiation, stress response' and apoptosis. Abnormal expression levels of miRs, regulating critical cancerassociated
pathways, have been implicated to play important roles in the oncogenic processes, functioning both as
oncogenes and as tumour suppressor genes. Elucidation of the genetic networks regulated by the abnormally
expressing miRs in cancer cells is proving to be extremely significant in understanding the role of these miRs in the
induction of malignant-transformation-associated phenotypic changes. As a result, the miRs involved in the
oncogenic transformation process are being investigated as novel biomarkers of disease detection and prognosis as
well as potential therapeutic targets for human cancers. In this \article, we review the existing literature in the field
documenting the significance of aberrantly expressed miRs in human pancreatic cancer and discuss how the
oncogenic miRs may be involved in the genetic networks regulating functional pathways deregulated in this
malignancy
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Keywords
Cellular pathways, genetic network, microRNA, pancreatic cancer, tumorigenic transformation, 3' untranslated region
Citation
Wang Jin, Sen Subrata. MicroRNA functional network in pancreatic cancer: From biology to biomarkers of disease. Journal of Biosciences. 2011 Aug; 36(3): 481-491.