The molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential of microRNA-7 in cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Increasing evidence supports that microRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in cancer through post-transcriptional gene silencing of their target genes, therefore, more and more effort has been devoted to develop miRNA-targeting therapeutics in cancer. MicroRNA-7 (miR-7) has been characterized as a potential tumor suppressor and regulates diverse fundamental biological processes of cancer cells including initiation, proliferation, migration, invasion, survival and death by targeting a number of oncogenic signaling pathways.

Areas covered: This review examines evidence of the biological responses of miR-7 in cancer, with an emphasis on its regulation of the vital oncogenic signaling pathways. It also discusses the rationale, strategies and challenges of miR-7 as a potential therapeutic target for cancer.

Expert opinion: With the increasing understanding of molecular mechanisms of miR-7-mediated regulatory networks and the advancement of miRNA-based therapeutics, targeting miR-7 may be a potential and promising strategy for cancer therapy.

Keywords:

• cancer cell signaling
• microRNA
• microRNA-7
• microRNA-based therapeutics
• post-transcriptional regulation

Declaration of interest

The authors were supported by the National Science Foundation of China (No. 81172030, 81120108017), and National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program) (No. 2012AA020810). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Notes

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