MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression by mainly binding to the 3′-UTR of target mRNAs, leading to mRNA degradation or translation inhibition. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most lethal malignancies in China. Many studies have reported the miRNA expression profiles in Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma. However, the pathobiological significance of aberrant miRNA expression in human ESCC has not been well documented.
A research article to be published on January 7, 2011 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The authors reported the expression profile of miRNA in ESCC and investigated the expression and functions of miR-143 and miR-145 in ESCC.
The results showed that miRNAs were deregulated and miR-143 and miR-145 were downregulated in ESCC. Furthermore, rescued expression of miR-143 and miR-145 can inhibit cell mobility. This study provides the first evidence for the anti-oncogenic activity of miR-143 and miR-145 in the development of esophageal squamous cell cancer. Targets of these two miRNAs remain to be defined. These results indicate that miRNAs may eventually constitute useful biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets.
Reference: Wu BL, Xu LY, Du ZP, Liao LD, Zhang HF, Huang Q, Fang GQ, Li EM. MiRNA profile in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Downregulation of miR-143 and miR-145. World J Gastroenterol 2011; 17(1): 79-88
http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v17/i1/79.htm
Correspondence to: En-Min Li, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Shantou University, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China. [email protected]
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About World Journal of Gastroenterology
World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection and provides a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2009 IF: 2.092. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.
