MicroRNAs: Key Regulators of Oncogenesis

449 Pages·2014·6.5 MB·English

by  Sadegh Babashah (eds.)

Sadegh Babashah Editor
MicroRNAs: Key
Regulators of
Oncogenesis
MicroRNAs: Key Regulators of Oncogenesis

Sadegh Babashah
Editor
MicroRNAs: Key Regulators
of Oncogenesis
Editor
Sadegh Babashah
Department of Molecular Genetics
Faculty of Biological Sciences
Tarbiat Modares University
Tehran, Iran
ISBN 978-3-319-03724-0 ISBN 978-3-319-03725-7 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-03725-7
Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014933208
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014
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This book is honorably dedicated to
Prof. Majid Sadeghizadeh, head of
Department of Molecular Genetics,
Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat
Modares University. Prof. Sadeghizadeh
founded the PhD program for molecular
genetics at Tarbiat Modares University
and is known to be one of the pioneers
in the fi eld of molecular biology in Iran.

Pref ace
The past decade witnessed signifi cant efforts and progresses in the area of microRNA
(miRNA) research in the fi eld of cancer. Indeed, recent miRNA studies have been a
major leap in the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of cancer. It is crystal
clear that miRNAs as either onco- or tumor suppressor genes can alter biological
processes fundamental to tumor initiation and progression. The connections between
miRNAs and oncogenesis are widespread enough to hold miRNAs as potential
therapeutic targets and novel biomarkers. In this regard, identifying the expression
signatures of miRNAs provides exciting opportunities for the diagnosis, prognosis,
and therapy of cancer.
This edited book M icroRNAs: Key Regulators of Oncogenesis aims to offer a
broad framework to understand the state-of-the-art knowledge of miRNA function
and illustrate features of specifi c miRNAs in the regulation of cancer. It has been
written for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and scientists in cancer research,
and it is also well suited for clinical oncologists and other researchers interested in
this fi eld. The contents of this book was scrupulously designed and explicitly writ-
ten. Ranging from the fundamental concepts to clinical applications, this book is
composed of seventeen chapters organized in two parts. The fi rst part is devoted to
delving deep into the importance of miRNAs in cancer biology. In Chap. 1 , I
describe the dual function of miRNAs as either oncogenes or tumor suppressors in
cancer and elucidate the link between aberrant miRNA expression and cancer devel-
opment and progression. Since cancer is associated with accumulation of epigenetic
and genetic alterations, Chap. 2 focuses on the relationship between epigenetics and
miRNA. In line with this, Chap. 3 deals exclusively with the effects of dietary agents
on miRNAs and their targets in the context of cancer biology. Chapter 4 elaborates
on the interplay between miRNAs and oncogenes/tumor suppressors in tumor metab-
olism introducing another layer of complexity to the regulatory network of meta-
bolic pathways in cancer cells. In Chaps. 5 and 6 , authors clearly describe the crucial
roles of miRNAs in different types of solid tumors and hematological malignancies
and also discuss the feasibility of using miRNAs as potential biomarkers. The
importance of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of oncogenic viruses and the link
vii
viii Preface
between miRNAs and liver infl ammation during hepatocarcinogenesis is repre-
sented in Chaps. 7 and 8 , respectively. Chapter 9 deciphers the mechanisms through
which miRNAs modulate the activity of regulatory pathways in tumorigenesis, in par-
ticular miRNAs targeting potential pathways for therapeutic intervention. Chapter
10 reveals the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs in apoptotic and autophagic net-
works, with the merit of fi nding application as potential drug targets for future can-
cer therapy. Chapter 1 1 describes the part played by miRNAs in drug resistance
and drug sensitivity. In Chap. 12 , the potential role of cancer stem cell-related miR-
NAs during tumor development and progression is clarifi ed. The second part of
the book highlights the clinical implications of miRNAs in cancer. In this part,
Chap. 1 3 introduces miRNAs as potential biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and
therapeutic intervention of cancer and the capacity of integrating miRNA data into
clinical trials is discussed. Chapter 1 4 offers a precise description to the function of
miRNAs in breast cancer and discusses their possible translation into molecular
diagnostics. Chapter 1 5 particularizes the impact of miRNAs on drug resistance
from a clinical point of view, thereby highlighting their capability to be exploited as
predictors or modifi ers of resistance towards chemo- and radio-therapeutics. In
Chap. 16 , authors meticulously address a variety of nanocarriers exploited for miRNA
delivery in crafting therapeutic platforms for cancer and provide an in-depth analysis of
different attributes of these nanovehicles. Finally, Chap. 1 7 outlines the advantages
of a pulmonary drug delivery system and the strategies for miRNA-based treatment
of lung cancer.
T his book would not have come to fruition without the continuous support and
administrative assistance of Melania Ruiz, along with additional administrative help
by Marleen Moor from Springer International Publishing Switzerland. I also want
to thank Dr. Seyed Javad Mowla, Dr. Masoud Soleimani and Dr. William Cho for
their valuable comments during the editing process of the book. Ultimately, I wish
to express my profound gratitude to all the authors for their time and efforts in
bringing this project to completion. I am truly honored to have the opportunity to
work with such a prestigious team.
Department of Molecular Genetics Sadegh Babashah, Ph.D.
Faculty of Biological Sciences
Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
January, 2014
Contents
Part I MicroRNAs: Biology and Implications in Cancer
1 MicroRNAs and Cancer: An Overview ................................................. 3
Sadegh Babashah
2 Epigenetics, MicroRNAs and Human Cancer ...................................... 29
Jiazeng Xia , Xiaoqiang Guo , and Kaiyuan Deng
3 MicroRNAs, Diet and Cancer Chemoprevention ................................. 59
Shahana Majid , Sumit Arora , Rajvir Dahiya , and Sharanjot Saini
4 MicroRNAs and Energy Metabolism in Cancer Cells ......................... 83
Linchong Sun , Xiaoping He , Yang Cao , Ping Gao ,
and Huafeng Zhang
5 MicroRNAs in Solid Tumors .................................................................. 97
Gianpiero Di Leva and Michela Garofalo
6 MicroRNAs and Blood Cancers ............................................................. 129
Charles H. Lawrie
7 MicroRNAs and Oncogenic Human Viruses ........................................ 155
Muriel Thirion , Teru Kanda , Yoshiki Murakami ,
Takahiro Ochiya , and Hisashi Iizasa
8 MicroRNAs Linking Cancer and Infl ammation:
Focus on Liver Cancer ............................................................................ 183
Angélique Gougelet and Sabine Colnot
9 MicroRNAs and Regulatory Pathways in Tumorigenesis ................... 209
Jun Wei , Yong Li , Xiaoming Liu , and William C. Cho
10 MicroRNA-Modulated Apoptotic and Autophagic
Signaling Networks in Cancer ............................................................... 233
Bo Liu and Yu-quan Wei
ix