Smoking and microRNA dysregulation: a cancerous combination.

Abstact

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional gene regulators that are differentially expressed in several pathophysiological conditions including cancer. They impact the disease course by modulating an array of putative target gene(s). Interestingly, there is a strong correlation between the various miRNAs target(s) and the smoking-regulated genes in cancer. This review article provides an insight into the current status of smoking-induced miRNAs and their genetic/epigenetic regulation in smoking-associated cancers, with a major focus on lung cancer (LC). Furthermore, it discusses the role of miRNAs in smoking-mediated oncogenic events in cancer and explores the diagnostic/prognostic potential of miRNA-based biomarkers and their efficacy as therapeutic targets.

Authors
  • Batra SK
  • Ganti AK
  • Kaur S
  • Momi N
  • Rachagani S
PubMed ID
Appears In
Trends Mol Med, 2014, 20 (1)