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Single microRNA Causes Cancer in Transgenic Mice
OSU scientists say a single malfunctioning microRNA can cause cancer in mice. Their discovery offers insight into the development of some forms of leukemia and lymphoma while underscoring the powerful role these tiny snippets of non-coding RNA play in cell-signaling pathways active in cancer formation. "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first direct evidence that overexpression of a microRNA results in the development of a neoplastic disease, highlighting their potential role in human malignancies," says Carlo Croce, MD, director, OSU Human Cancer Genetics Program. The study is published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Over the past several years, scientists have discovered hundreds of microRNAs (miRNAs) and how they regulate gene expression. MiRNAs normally help control important biological functions, but they can be harmful if activated at the wrong time and place, and that appears to be what happens in some cancers. Croce, senior a uthor of the study, was the first to identify a link between miRNAs and cancer.
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