Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 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

miRNAs in gastrointestinal and liver cancers: their perspectives and clinical applications

Jing Shen1, William K K Wu, Shun X Ren

  • 1School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, HongKong, China.

Current Pharmaceutical Design
|October 25, 2012
PubMed

Insights

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) show promise as biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting gastrointestinal and liver cancers. These small non-coding RNAs also represent potential therapeutic targets for these diseases in both animals and humans.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs regulating gene expression post-transcriptionally.
  • Dysregulation of miRNAs is implicated in various pathological conditions, notably cancer progression.
  • Translational research is actively exploring clinical applications of miRNA findings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of miRNA potential in gastrointestinal and liver cancers.
  • To highlight miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic markers.
  • To discuss miRNAs as therapeutic targets for these cancers.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of current research on miRNAs in cancer.
  • Analysis of miRNA roles in disease progression and clinical utility.
  • Overview of therapeutic strategies involving miRNAs.

Main Results:

  • miRNAs are significantly dysregulated in gastrointestinal and liver cancers.
  • Specific miRNAs show potential as sensitive and specific biomarkers.
  • miRNAs offer novel therapeutic avenues for cancer treatment.

Conclusions:

  • miRNAs hold considerable promise for clinical applications in gastrointestinal and liver cancers.
  • Further research into specific miRNA mechanisms and therapeutic delivery is warranted.
  • This overview sets the stage for detailed discussions on individual miRNAs in the special series.

More Related Videos

Characterization of Functionally Associated miRNAs in Glioblastoma and their Engineering into Artificial Clusters for Gene Therapy09:40

Characterization of Functionally Associated miRNAs in Glioblastoma and their Engineering into Artificial Clusters for Gene Therapy

Published on: October 4, 2019

Monitoring of Nanodrug Accumulation in Murine Breast Cancer Metastases09:48

Monitoring of Nanodrug Accumulation in Murine Breast Cancer Metastases

Published on: August 23, 2024

Related Concept Videos

MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

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...
MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

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...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...