The reciprocal link between EVI1 and miRNAs in human malignancies

Ecotropic virus integration site-1 (EVI1) is an oncogenic transcription factor which locus on chromosome 3(3q26.2). Alterations in EVI1 functions correspond with poor prognosis in different cancers, underscoring their status for the clinical cancer phenotype. MicroRNAs(MiR)are a class of small non-coding RNA sequences. They post-transcriptionally influence mRNA sequence through imperfect pairing with the 3'-UTR. Moreover, a growing body of studies showed that miRNAs could regulate initiation and progression of human malignancies. Current studies have been described that identifies numerous microRNAs that can be modulated by EVI1. Interestingly, the expression level of EVI1 can also be regulated by microRNAs, thus forming a reciprocal link. Recent understanding of the functional roles of EVI1, microRNAs, and their interactions in human cancers are summarized. This review will help to define a relationship between EVI1 and microRNAs in human malignancies and develop novel therapeutic strategies.