Deregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs)—short, noncoding RNAs involved in gene silencing—in glioblastoma cells could switch their role from inhibiting to promoting cell invasiveness, according to a recent study. Small epigenetic changes in miRNAs, such as replacement of adenosine with inosoine (A-to-I editing), generates variant or 'edited' miRNAs, and evidence suggests that the frequency of A-to-I editing is reduced in glioblastoma. The miRNA-376 cluster expressed in human brain has nine adenosine residues susceptible to such editing. Choudhury and colleagues found that unedited miRNA-376a* accumulated in high-grade gliomas and promoted migration and invasivesness compared with the edited form, which suppressed these features. miRNA-376a* is proposed as a therapeutic target in glioblastoma cells.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER
Choudhury, Y. et al. Attenuated adenosine-to-inosine editing of microRNA-376a* promotes invasiveness of glioblastoma cells. J. Clin. Invest. doi:10.1172/JCI62925
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Invasiveness of glioblastoma cells is driven by deregulation of microRNA-376 editing. Nat Rev Neurol 8, 660 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2012.237
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2012.237