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Review
. 2024 Mar 20;12(3):691.
doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12030691.

Functions of Differentially Regulated miRNAs in Breast Cancer Progression: Potential Markers for Early Detection and Candidates for Therapy

Kumar Subramanian  1 , Raghu Sinha  1
Affiliations
Review

Functions of Differentially Regulated miRNAs in Breast Cancer Progression: Potential Markers for Early Detection and Candidates for Therapy

Kumar Subramanian et al. Biomedicines. .

Abstract

Breast cancer remains a major global health concern, emphasizing the need for reliable biomarkers to enhance early detection and therapeutic interventions. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionarily conserved small non-coding RNA (~22 nt in length) molecules, which are aberrantly expressed in cancer and seem to influence tumor behavior and progression. Specific miRNA dysregulation has been associated with breast cancer initiation, proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Understanding the functional roles of these miRNAs provides valuable insights into the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying breast cancer progression. The diagnostic potential of miRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for early breast cancer detection is a burgeoning area of research. This review aims to elucidate the functions of differentially regulated miRNAs in breast cancer progression and assess their potential as markers for early detection, stage-specific biomarkers, and therapeutic targets. Furthermore, the ability of specific miRNAs to serve as prognostic indicators and predictors of treatment response highlights their potential clinical utility in guiding personalized therapeutic interventions.

Keywords: biomarkers; breast cancer; microRNA.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Biosynthesis of miRNA: Pre-miRNAs are further cleaved into an asymmetric duplex using the action of Dicer and accessory proteins. Transactivation-responsive RNA-binding protein (TRBP) and PACT in humans remove the loop sequence by forming a short-lived asymmetric duplex intermediate (miRNA: miRNA), with a duplex of about 22 nucleotides in length. This pre-cursor is cleaved to generate ~21–25-nucleotide mature miRNAs. The mature miRNA is loaded into the miRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC), which binds to target mRNA, resulting in either the degradation of mRNA or the blockage of translation without mRNA degradation (adapted from [17,18]).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Variety of miRNA inhibition therapies in breast cancer discussed in this review.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Potential approaches to miRNA replacement therapy for breast cancer using a variety of miRNA delivery systems.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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