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Review
. 2022 Dec 15;23(24):15978.
doi: 10.3390/ijms232415978.

MicroRNAs: A Link between Mammary Gland Development and Breast Cancer

Diana Wu  1 , Lilian U Thompson  1 , Elena M Comelli  1   2
Affiliations
Review

MicroRNAs: A Link between Mammary Gland Development and Breast Cancer

Diana Wu et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Breast cancer is among the most common cancers in women, second to skin cancer. Mammary gland development can influence breast cancer development in later life. Processes such as proliferation, invasion, and migration during mammary gland development can often mirror processes found in breast cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small, non-coding RNAs, can repress post-transcriptional RNA expression and can regulate up to 80% of all genes. Expression of miRNAs play a key role in mammary gland development, and aberrant expression can initiate or promote breast cancer. Here, we review the role of miRNAs in mammary development and breast cancer, and potential parallel roles. A total of 32 miRNAs were found to be expressed in both mammary gland development and breast cancer. These miRNAs are involved in proliferation, metastasis, invasion, and apoptosis in both processes. Some miRNAs were found to have contradictory roles, possibly due to their ability to target many genes at once. Investigation of miRNAs and their role in mammary gland development may inform about their role in breast cancer. In particular, by studying miRNA in development, mechanisms and potential targets for breast cancer treatment may be elucidated.

Keywords: breast cancer; development; mammary gland; microRNA.

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Conflict of interest statement

E.M.C. has received research support from Ocean Spray Cranberries and Lallemand Health Solutions (outside of this study).

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A), A timeline of mammary gland development through six stages and (B), Intrinsic breast cancer subtypes, markers, and characteristics from best prognosis to worst prognosis. Cancer type incidence are as per [1,9] Created with BioRender.com.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Breakdown of 32 microRNAs found in mammary gland development and breast cancer processes based on their association with their typical stages. Rows correspond to biological mechanisms that can be found in both processes. Columns correspond to stages of mammary gland development. MicroRNAs in red are oncogenic microRNAs. MicroRNAs in black are tumour suppressive in breast cancer. Italicized microRNAs have a debated role in breast cancer. Created with BioRender.com.
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