Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2026
07:02
In Vivo Inhibition of MicroRNA to Decrease Tumor Growth in Mice
Published on: August 23, 2019
A MicroRNA targeting dicer for metastasis control.
Graziano Martello1, Antonio Rosato, Francesco Ferrari
1Department of Histology, Microbiology and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Padua School of Medicine, viale Colombo 3, 35126 Padua, Italy.
Cell
|July 7, 2010
Summary
High levels of microRNAs (miRNAs), specifically miR-103/107, promote cancer metastasis by targeting Dicer and inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Inhibiting these miRNAs can reduce cancer cell migration and spread.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Oncology
- Gene Regulation
Background:
- Global microRNA (miRNA) downregulation is common in human cancers, but its mechanisms and benefits are unclear.
- MicroRNAs regulate gene expression and are crucial in cancer development and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify miRNAs involved in global miRNA downregulation in cancer.
- To investigate the role of miR-103/107 in cancer metastasis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
Main Methods:
- Identification of miR-103/107 targeting Dicer, a key enzyme in miRNA biosynthesis.
- Analysis of miR-103/107 levels in human breast cancer tissues.
- In vitro and in vivo experiments to assess the functional impact of miR-103/107 on cell migration and metastasis.
- Investigation of miR-103/107's effect on miR-200 levels and EMT induction.
Main Results:
- miR-103/107 directly target and attenuate Dicer, reducing overall miRNA biosynthesis.
- Elevated miR-103/107 levels correlate with metastasis and poor prognosis in breast cancer patients.
- Overexpression of miR-103/107 enhances cancer cell migration in vitro and promotes metastasis in vivo.
- Inhibition of miR-103/107 suppresses cancer cell migration and metastasis.
- miR-103/107 induce EMT by downregulating miR-200 family members.
Conclusions:
- The miR-103/107 family plays a critical role in promoting cancer metastasis through Dicer inhibition and EMT induction.
- Targeting miR-103/107 offers a potential therapeutic strategy to combat cancer metastasis.
- This study reveals a novel mechanism linking miRNA dysregulation to cancer progression and invasiveness.
Related Concept Videos
01:22MicroRNAs
MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns (non-coding regions of a gene) or intergenic regions (stretches of DNA present between genes). Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself, forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA...
01:22MicroRNAs
MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns—non-coding regions of a gene—or intergenic regions—stretches of DNA present between genes. Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA ends...
01:22MicroRNAs
MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns—non-coding regions of a gene—or intergenic regions—stretches of DNA present between genes. Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA ends...
02:15Experimental RNAi
RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...
01:23RNA Interference
RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
02:30Metastasis
Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...