MicroRNA in gastrointestinal cancer: a step closer to reality

Despite significant strides in understanding molecular pathogenesis of cancer, gastrointestinal malignancy (gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, and liver) still ranks among the leading causes of cancer-related mortality and morbidity worldwide. One of the key clinical challenges in effectively reducing disease burden associated with gastrointestinal neoplasia stems from late diagnosis, underscoring the need for early detection, risk assessment, and intervention. Currently available screening approaches are inadequate, and the development of accurate noninvasive molecular biomarkers is very much needed, microRNAs (miRNAs) are short (20-24 nucleotides in length) noncoding RNAs that have emerged as important translational gene regulators in cancer cells. In contrast to genetic markers, miRNAs have a cancer-specific expression pattern. They are present in a remarkably stable form and can be detected in a wide variety of body fluids including blood and feces. These properties make them attractive cancer biomarker targets. Although development of miRNA biomarkers is still in its early stages, burgeoning evidence supports their potential use for development as markers for early detection, prognosis, and prediction of disease recurrence and therapeutic outcome in gastrointestinal cancers. In the future, it is likely that miRNA biomarkers will revolutionize personalized medicine and mitigate disease burden associated with gastrointestinal cancers.