MicroRNAs and Colon Cancer

MicroRNAs regulate cell processes, including proliferation and apoptosis, and these noncoding RNA molecules show altered expression in many tumors that arise in pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. A causal role for microRNA overexpression in carcinogenesis is less certain, but, if such an association is confirmed, it might provide an opportunity for chemotherapy via antisense nucleotides that inhibit microRNA function. Further, if microRNAs demonstrate prognostic value, they could serve as biomarkers for selection of chemotherapeutic agents.

Investigators examined the relation between microRNA expression and colon cancer prognoses in paired tumor and nontumor tissue samples from a test cohort of 84 U.S. patients…