Title:MicroRNAs Regulate the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Cancer Progression
Volume: 3
Issue: 2
Author(s): Yang Hu and Hua Tang
Affiliation:
Keywords:
EMT, miRNA, miR-200 family, P53, TGFβ signaling.
Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression by targeting
mRNAs and leading to either translation repression or RNA degradation. miRNAs have fundamental effects in the regulation
of intracellular processes, and their importance during malignant transformation and metastasis is becoming increasingly
well understood. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which reprograms tumor cells transcription, has
been highlighted as a powerful process in tumor invasion, metastasis and tumorigenicity. In recent years, many studies
have significantly enhanced our knowledge of EMT by the characterization of miRNAs that influence the signaling pathways
and downstream events that define EMT on a molecular level. In this review, we detail the miRNAs and signal
transduction pathways involved in the EMT process and demonstrate their importance in the study of cancer progression.
We believe that this information will improve prognostication and reveal new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
