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The secret weapon of microRNAs: How do they play a key role in cancer metastasis?
With the deepening of cancer research, microRNA (miRNA) has gradually become an emerging force in conquering cancer metastasis. These small RNA molecules not only play an important role in gene regulation, but their impact on cancer metastasis is also increasingly attracting attention from the scientific community. According to research, cancer metastasis is one of the main causes of death in cancer patients, accounting for about 90% of cancer deaths. The discovery of microRNAs has enabled researchers to better understand how cancer cells spread to other sites and thus develop new treatments.
MicroRNAs can not only inhibit the metastasis of cancer, but also potentially improve the survival rate of patients by changing signal transduction pathways.
In the process of cancer treatment, traditional methods such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy mainly focus on destroying the primary tumor. However, because these treatments do not adequately address the problem of cancer metastasis, the improvement in patient survival is not significant. At this time, the emergence of microRNA provides new ideas for the innovation of treatment strategies.
Scientists have discovered that the expression of certain microRNAs is significantly reduced in cancer cells with the ability to metastasize. For example, miR-335 and miR-126, which are expressed at low levels in metastatic tumor cells, have been found to effectively inhibit the process of cancer metastasis without affecting the growth of the primary tumor. This means that by activating these microRNAs, it may be possible to develop new treatments to reduce the risk of cancer metastasis.
The expression of miR-335 is correlated with the metastasis-free survival rate of clinical breast cancer, suggesting its potential in predicting patient prognosis.
When it comes to cancer prognosis, the level of expression of tumor suppressor genes often becomes an important indicator of the patient's chance of survival. For example, high expression of NM23 is associated with a good prognosis in multiple tumor types (such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, etc.). These findings suggest that the interplay between microRNAs and tumor suppressor genes may have profound effects on the development of cancer.
In addition to its application in prognosis, various aspects of microRNA are also becoming therapeutic targets explored by researchers. Using drugs to induce the re-expression of these microRNAs may be an effective way to prevent cancer metastasis. In addition, clinical assessment of microRNA production status may improve the accuracy of prognosis in patients with clinically limited diseases.
Not only do these microRNAs alter signaling pathways in cancer cells, they are distinct from proteins that suppress tumor growth.
Various studies have discovered a series of related genes, such as BRMS1, KAI1, etc., which play an important role in inhibiting tumor metastasis. BRMS1 exhibits anti-metastasis properties in various tumor types, while KAI1 helps inhibit the shedding and migration of cancer cells. These findings undoubtedly provide a theoretical basis for the development of new therapies.
However, these microRNAs and their mechanisms of action remain an area of urgent research. Current studies have shown that promoting the expression of microRNAs or preventing their inhibitory mechanisms may become potential strategies to change the process of cancer metastasis. But this also raises a deeper question: Can we make full use of these tiny molecules in therapy to break the vicious cycle of cancer metastasis and open new doors for future cancer treatment?
