Circulating miRNAs in cancer: from detection to therapy

Since the discovery of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in body fluids, an increasing number of studies have focused on their potential as non-invasive biomarkers and as therapeutic targets or tools for many diseases, particularly for cancers. Because of their stability, miRNAs are easily detectable i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of hematology and oncology Vol. 7; no. 1; p. 86
Main Authors Wang, Wen-Tao, Chen, Yue-Qin
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England BioMed Central Ltd 05.12.2014
BioMed Central
Subjects
Analysis
Animals
Biomarkers
Biomarkers, Tumor - blood
Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics
Body fluids
Cancer
Diagnosis
Health aspects
Hematology
Humans
Laboratories
Medical research
Methods
MicroRNA
MicroRNAs - blood
MicroRNAs - genetics
Neoplasms - blood
Neoplasms - genetics
Oncology
Permeability
Physiological aspects
Physiology
Prognosis
Review
Studies
Tumor Microenvironment
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Summary:Since the discovery of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in body fluids, an increasing number of studies have focused on their potential as non-invasive biomarkers and as therapeutic targets or tools for many diseases, particularly for cancers. Because of their stability, miRNAs are easily detectable in body fluids. Extracellular miRNAs have potential as biomarkers for the prediction and prognosis of cancer. Moreover, they also enable communication between cells within the tumor microenvironment, thereby influencing tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize the progresses made over the past decade regarding circulating miRNAs, from the development of detection methods to their clinical application as biomarkers and therapeutic tools for cancer. We also discuss the advantages and limitations of different detection methods and the pathways of circulating miRNAs in cell-cell communication, in addition to their clinical pharmacokinetics and toxicity in human organs. Finally, we highlight the potential of circulating miRNAs in clinical applications for cancer.
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ISSN:1756-8722
1756-8722
DOI:10.1186/s13045-014-0086-0