MicroRNAs and Target Genes in Pituitary Adenomas

Pituitary adenomas account for the top three primary intracranial tumors in terms of total incidence rates. The clinical symptoms presented by the disease are often characterized by a series of systemic endocrine disorders, severe occupational lesions, and even some malignant features, and therefore early diagnosis and predicting recurrence would be instructive for clinical treatment of pituitary adenomas. An increasing number of specific microRNA (miRNA) expression signatures have been identified in pituitary, and miRNAs are related with the pituitary tumorigenesis, dysfunction, neurodegeneration, and metastatic non-functioning pituitary carcinoma. Here, this paper reviews the effects of aberrant miRNA expression in human pituitary adenomas and summarizes some corresponding target genes and biological significance over the last 7 years (2010-2017).