Mir-203 as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most widespread health concern worldwide as well as the main reason for cancer-associated mortality. Detecting the stage of tumor crucially relates to survival and prognosisof patients. The concept of early detection of colorectal cancer has engaged clinicians and scientists for years. There are several testing methods to detect colorectal cancer and amongst screening approaches, colonoscopy is known as the gold standard for high-risk people; however, some barriers like its invasivity and expensive cost have altered the worldwide attitudes in its application. New non-invasive biomarkers in tissue, blood, and stool, can suggest more convenient and practical benefits. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded regulatory RNAs which are classified in a considerable group of non- coding and short (~18–25 nucleotides long) RNAs. MiRNAs play important roles in the regulation of many biological processes, such as metabolism, cellular growth, differentiation, proliferation, andapoptosis. In tumor biology, miRNAs play significant functions, including oncogenesis, progression, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis.Many miRNAs including miR-21, miR-106a, miR-133, miR-135b, and miR-203 have been recently reported altered expression in CRC tissues. Also, miR-203 is known as a potential biomarker for CRC diagnosis. Studies have demonstrated that some tumor suppressorgenes, such as AKT2 , CDK6, ZNF217, and Survivin could be targeted by miR-203. Therefore, crucial steps in the progression of human cancer and carcinogenesis may be influenced by miR-203.Moreover,miR-203 inhibits TYMS and ATM kinases which respectively improve colorectal cancer sensitivity to chemotherapy, and decrease the sensitivity of CRC cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. So, altered miR-203 expression has a vital role in tumorigenesis.In conclusion, measuring miR-203 level has a promising sensitivity and specificity to use as a noninvasive screening method for CRC diagnosis.

کلیدواژه ها:

Colon Cancer ، Colorectal Cancer ، Cancer Diagnosis ، Gene and Cancer ، Cell and Cancer