表观遗传修饰调控微小RNA表达在肺癌中的研究进展

Lung cancer is one of the primary causes of cancer-induced death among the world. Although the network of molecular implicated in lung cancer is gradually revealed, the exact molecular mechanism of its occurrence and development has not been fully elucidated. As a class of small and endogenous single-stranded non-coding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) are found in a wide range of organisms from plants, viruses to humans. miRNAs involve various functions in normal lung tissue development. They take part in a large amount of biological processes including cell growth, metabolism, proliferation and differentiation. However, aberrant expression of miRNAs could induce the occurrence, development, invasion and metastasis of lung tumor, so it is deemed the novel biomarkers. Similar to that of protein-coding genes, expression and function of miRNA are regulated by various factors and the epigenetic network which includes DNA methylation and histone modification. Moreover, key enzymes driving epigenetic modifications are regulated by miRNAs. Therefore, better understanding of inextricable linkage between miRNAs and epigenome will provides a basis for the feasibility of miRNA-orientated diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic strategies related to lung cancer in future.