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Review
. 2022 Nov 25;14(23):5818.
doi: 10.3390/cancers14235818.

MicroRNA-Gene Interactions Impacted by Toxic Metal(oid)s during EMT and Carcinogenesis

Franklin Tran  1 , Eunji Lee  1 , Suresh Cuddapah  1 , Byeong Hyeok Choi  1 , Wei Dai  1
Affiliations
Review

MicroRNA-Gene Interactions Impacted by Toxic Metal(oid)s during EMT and Carcinogenesis

Franklin Tran et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Chronic environmental exposure to toxic metal(loid)s significantly contributes to human cancer development and progression. It is estimated that approximately 90% of cancer deaths are a result of metastasis of malignant cells, which is initiated by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) during early carcinogenesis. EMT is regulated by many families of genes and microRNAs (miRNAs) that control signaling pathways for cell survival, death, and/or differentiation. Recent mechanistic studies have shown that toxic metal(loid)s alter the expression of miRNAs responsible for regulating the expression of genes involved in EMT. Altered miRNA expressions have the potential to be biomarkers for predicting survival and responses to treatment in cancers. Significantly, miRNAs can be developed as therapeutic targets for cancer patients in the clinic. In this mini review, we summarize key findings from recent studies that highlight chemical-miRNA-gene interactions leading to the perturbation of EMT after exposure to toxic metal(loid)s including arsenic, cadmium, nickel, and chromium.

Keywords: EMT; arsenic; cadmium; carcinogenesis; chromium; metals; microRNAs; nickel.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cadmium induces expression of SNAIL1. MiaPaCa-2 cells were treated with cadmium chloride (10 μM) in the presence or absence of a specific KRasG12C inhibitor (ARS-1620) for various times as indicated. Equal amounts of cell lysates were blotted for SNAIL1, phospho-ERK1/2, total ERK1/2, and β-actin. For original Western Blot, see Figure S1.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A model depicting modes of action of various toxic metal(loid)s in promoting the epithelial–mesenchymal transition.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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