MiRNAs: Novel molecules in cancer therapy

Cancer is a major public health problem in the world. There are a number ofmethods used intreatment of cancer such as surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.However, these nonspecificmethods cannot be completely eliminated tumor cells and could bedamaged healthytissue and in some cases leading to mortality. Despite these methods, someother strategiescould be used for cancer treatment with less toxicity effects such asimmunotherapy, hormonetherapy, stem cell therapy and targeted therapy. Increasing indevelopment of recognizing keymolecular regulators in cancers, introduced targeted therapies asunanimous methods forspecifically eliminating tumor cells. MicroRNAs are small singlestranded non-coding RNAmolecules which regulate gene expression in post- transcriptionalmanner. In this view, they arethe main regulatory molecules in cells that control over half of theprotein coding genes inhuman. Moreover, dysregulation of non-coding RNAs have beenobserved in various types ofcancers. Since the cancer is a multigenic disease, the ability ofmiRNAs for targeting severalbiological pathways makes them a convenient candidate for cancertherapy. miRNA-basedtherapies divided into two categories on the basis of miRNA function inthe cells: BlockingmiRNAs and restoring miRNAs. Blockings used to stop the function ofmiRNAs that acts asoncogenes, in return restoring miRNAs revival and activate miRNAs withtumor suppressorfeatures in human diseases especially in cancers. For using these characteristicsseveralmethods created such as: Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) (LNA anti-miRs, tiny LNAantimiRs,Antagomirs), miR sponges, small-molecule drugs that target specific miRNAs(SMIRs)and miRNA masking that placed in blocking category. Strategies of restoring miRNAsareincluded miRNA mimics, miRNA expression vectors and small molecules. Nowadays,developments of creative strategies for using miRNA in cancer therapy are growingup rapidlyand introduction of new delivery systems make them easy to targeted cancerous cells.It seemsthat different therapeutic approaches based on miRNAs have great promising way forcancertreatment.

کلیدواژه ها:

Non-coding RNA ، blocking miRNAs ، Restoring miRNAs ، Cancer ، Therapeutic approaches