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  • Review Article
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MicroRNAs in pancreatic cancer metabolism

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 9, pages 334–344 (2012)Cite this article

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Abstract

Advances in understanding the biology of tumour progression and metastasis have clearly highlighted the importance of aberrant tumour metabolism, which supports not only the energy requirements but also the enormous biosynthetic needs of tumour cells. Such metabolic alterations modulate glucose, amino acid and fatty-acid-dependent metabolite biosynthesis and energy production. Although much progress has been made in understanding the somatic mutations and expression genomics behind these alterations, the regulation of these processes by microRNAs (miRNAs) is only just beginning to be appreciated. This Review focuses on the miRNAs that are potential regulators of the expression of genes whose protein products either directly regulate metabolic machinery or serve as master regulators, indirectly modulating the expression of metabolic enzymes. We focus particularly on miRNAs in pancreatic cancer.

Key Points

  • Pancreatic tumours are highly glucose dependent; the 18F-FDG-PET imaging of pancreatic tumours utilizes the propensity of pancreatic tumours to take up high amounts of glucose

  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are linked to pancreatic cancer metabolism at two levels: first, miRNAs are regulated by metabolic activity; and second, miRNAs can directly or indirectly regulate metabolic activity of pancreatic tumours

  • By modulating the tumour microenvironment, miRNAs can also alter the tumour–stromal metabolic interactions in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

  • miRNAs can differentiate the metabolic status of normal pancreas, chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer

  • miRNAs could serve as biomarkers for the metabolic state of the tumour, and might have diagnostic and therapeutic implications for pancreatic cancer

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Figure 1: Modulation of metabolic machinery and its regulators by microRNAs in a pancreatic cancer cell.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by SPORE (P50 CA127297, NCI) Career Development Award, SPORE (P50 CA127297, NCI) Developmental Research Project Award, and Cancer Prevention and Control Nutrition seed grant (15618, GSCN) to P. K. Singh. The funders had no role in preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Eppley Institute for Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 987696 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, 68198, NE, USA

    Pankaj K. Singh & Kamiya Mehla

  2. Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, PUH, M2, C Wing—200 Lothrop Street

    Randall E. Brand

  3. University of Pittsburgh, 15213, PA, USA

    Randall E. Brand

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  1. Pankaj K. Singh
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P. K. Singh and K. Mehla researched data for the article. All authors contributed to discussions of content, writing, reviewing and editing the manuscript.

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Singh, P., Brand, R. & Mehla, K. MicroRNAs in pancreatic cancer metabolism. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 9, 334–344 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2012.63

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