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Review
. 2006 Mar 27;94(6):776-80.
doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6603023.

MicroRNAs in cell proliferation, cell death, and tumorigenesis

H-W Hwang  1 , J T Mendell
Affiliations
Review

MicroRNAs in cell proliferation, cell death, and tumorigenesis

H-W Hwang et al. Br J Cancer. .

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a recently discovered class of approximately 18-24 nucleotide RNA molecules that negatively regulate target mRNAs. All studied multicellular eukaryotes utilise miRNAs to regulate basic cellular functions including proliferation, differentiation, and death. It is now apparent that abnormal miRNA expression is a common feature of human malignancies. In this review, we will discuss how miRNAs influence tumorigenesis by acting as oncogenes and tumour suppressors.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The biogenesis and functions of cancer-associated human miRNAs. A simplified schematic of miRNA biogenesis is shown. MicroRNAs are initially transcribed by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and sequentially processed by drosha and dicer (see text for details). MicroRNAs with tumour suppressing or oncogenic properties are shown with their experimentally validated targets.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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