Targeting miR-375 in gastric cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Gastric cancer remains a major cancer burden in the world, with a poor 5-year survival rate. It is necessary to develop new effective therapeutic strategies to improve the long-term clinical outcome. MicroRNA (miRNA), a class of small non-coding RNA, has been identified as a key regulator of gene expression, and is implicated in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer.

Areas covered: This review summarizes the role of miRNAs in gastric carcinogenesis, with an emphasis on the expression and function of miR-375 in gastric cancer and beyond. It also discusses the opportunities and challenges of miR-375 as a potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer. The genes targeted by miR-375, including JAK2 and 3′-phosphoinositide dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1), are also candidates for gastric cancer therapy.

Expert opinion: Although radical surgery and rational chemotherapy are still the main treatment for gastric cancer, targeting miRNAs, in combination with other conventional therapies, may serve as a promising therapy strategy to improve the clinical outcome.

Keywords::

• gastric cancer
• JAK2
• miR-375
• miRNA
• PDK1

Acknowledgements

We thank Y-y Mo (Southern Illinois University, USA) for critical comments. Y Xu and Y Deng contributed equally to this work.

Notes

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