Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an abundant class of small non-protein-coding RNAs that function as negative gene regulators. They regulate diverse biological processes, and bioinformatic data indicates that each miRNA can control hundreds of gene targets, underscoring the potential influence of miRNAs on almost every genetic pathway. Recent evidence has shown that miRNA mutations or mis-expression correlate with various human cancers and indicates that miRNAs can function as tumour suppressors and oncogenes. miRNAs have been shown to repress the expression of important cancer-related genes and might prove useful in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Author affiliations

1. Yale University, Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology, 266 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.

Correspondence to: Frank J. Slack¹ Email: frank.slack@yale.edu

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