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Updated: Aug 30, 2026

MicroRNA Amplification and Recognition through Locked-nucleic-acid In situ Hybridization as a Novel Detection and Quantification Method
09:06

MicroRNA Amplification and Recognition through Locked-nucleic-acid In situ Hybridization as a Novel Detection and Quantification Method

Published on: October 7, 2025

MicroRNAs and cancer

Michael T McManus1

  • 1Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 40 Ames Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. mmcmanus@mit.edu

Seminars in Cancer Biology
|October 18, 2003
PubMed

Insights

MicroRNAs, a class of noncoding RNAs, are implicated in cancer development. This review explores their potential role in oncogenesis, challenging traditional views of cancer gene mutations.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Cancer is characterized by loss of cell identity and uncontrolled proliferation.
  • Traditionally, oncogenesis is linked to mutations in protein-encoding genes (oncogenes and tumor suppressors).
  • Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are emerging as critical regulators of cellular processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a role for microRNAs in the process of oncogenesis.
  • To highlight the potential shift in understanding cancer development beyond protein-coding genes.
  • To review current data suggesting microRNA involvement in human diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on noncoding RNAs and cancer.
  • Analysis of data linking microRNAs to cellular homeostasis and development.
  • Synthesis of evidence supporting microRNA function in oncogenesis.

Main Results:

  • Noncoding RNAs, particularly microRNAs, play significant roles in biological regulation.
  • Emerging evidence points to microRNAs as key players in human diseases, including cancer.
  • MicroRNAs offer a new perspective on the molecular mechanisms underlying oncogenesis.

Conclusions:

  • MicroRNAs represent a novel class of molecules involved in cancer development.
  • The role of microRNAs in oncogenesis warrants further investigation.
  • Understanding microRNA functions could lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cancer.

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