MicroRNA and endometrial cancer: Roles of small RNAs in human tumors and clinical applications (Review)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs of approximately 22 base pairs that regulate the expression of genes by targeting messenger RNA with complementarity with the miRNA base sequence. Regulation of gene expression by miRNAs is crucial in cellular development and differentiation, and recent studies suggest a relationship between human diseases and the breakdown of gene silencing mechanisms induced by miRNA abnormalities. In particular, abnormal miRNA expression has been detected in various types of cancer and the target genes have been identified. These results indicate that miRNAs act in a manner equivalent to oncogenes or tumor suppressors. miRNAs may also serve as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. In this review, we introduce the latest findings on miRNAs in human endometrial cancer, a common malignancy, and discuss the potential of miRNAs as biomarkers and targets for molecular therapy.