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Review
. 2021 Feb 3;13(4):593.
doi: 10.3390/cancers13040593.

MicroRNAs: Tiny Regulators of Gene Expression with Pivotal Roles in Normal B-Cell Development and B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Katerina Katsaraki  1 , Paraskevi Karousi  1 , Pinelopi I Artemaki  1 , Andreas Scorilas  1 , Vasiliki Pappa  2 , Christos K Kontos  1 , Sotirios G Papageorgiou  2
Affiliations
Review

MicroRNAs: Tiny Regulators of Gene Expression with Pivotal Roles in Normal B-Cell Development and B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Katerina Katsaraki et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of small non-coding RNAs bearing regulatory potency. The implication of miRNAs in physiological cellular processes has been well documented so far. A typical process orchestrated by miRNAs is the normal B-cell development. A stage-specific expression pattern of miRNAs has been reported in the developmental procedure, as well as interactions with transcription factors that dictate B-cell development. Besides their involvement in normal hematopoiesis, miRNAs are severally implicated in hematological malignancies, a typical paradigm of which is B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). B-CLL is a highly heterogeneous disease characterized by the accumulation of abnormal B cells in blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen. Therefore, timely, specific, and sensitive assessment of the malignancy is vital. Several studies have attempted to highlight the remarkable significance of miRNAs as regulators of gene expression, biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, progression, and therapy response prediction, as well as molecules with potential therapeutic utility. This review seeks to outline the linkage between miRNA function in normal and malignant hematopoiesis by demonstrating the main benchmarks of the implication of miRNAs in the regulation of normal B-cell development, and to summarize the key findings about their value as regulators, biomarkers, or therapeutic targets in B-CLL.

Keywords: B-CLL; biomarker; diagnosis; miRNA-transcription factor network; miRNAs; normal B-cell development; prediction; prognosis; progression; regulation; therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Common genetic alterations, molecular events, and miRNAs contributing to B-CLL pathogenesis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The main steps of B-cell development, and some of the miRNAs implicated in this process. Red color in lines and miRNA red font color indicate inhibition of expression, while green color in arrows and miRNA font indicates induction of expression. Black font color indicates a miRNA acting as a rheostat for the developmental process. CLP, common lymphoid progenitor; FOB, follicular B cell; MZB marginal zone B cell; GC B, germinal center B cell.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The regulatory roles and specific targets of miRNAs, which are involved in normal B-cell development and B-CLL. Red inhibitory signs indicate the downregulation of specific targets by miRNAs and blue arrows indicate the regulatory impact of the miRNAs. Partial circles indicate the potential therapeutic utility of the miRNAs. miRNAs can promote (↑) or suppress (↓) numerous biological processes. With regard to the miR-17/92 cluster, only miR-17-5p has been proposed as a therapeutic target for B-CLL. GC B, germinal center B cell.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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