MicroRNAs Regulate Key Effector Pathways of Senescence

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small (approximately 22 nt) noncoding endogenous RNA molecules that regulate gene expression and protein coding by base pairing with the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of target mRNAs. miRNA expression is associated with cancer pathogenesis because miRNAs are intimately linked to cancer development. Senescence blocks cell proliferation, representing an important barrier that cells must bypass to reach malignancy. Importantly, certain miRNAs have been shown to have an important role during cellular senescence, which is also involved in human tumorigenesis. Therefore, therapeutic induction of senescence by drugs or miRNA-based therapies is a potential method to treat cancer by inducing a persistent growth arrest in tumors.