miRNAs: new tools for molecular classification, diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the most common malignancies worldwide, ranking as the third leading cause of cancer-related death. With recent advances in understanding HCC biology, progress has been made in early detection and management of HCC; however, its prognosis remains dismal. Novel biomarkers for HCC that are acceptable for clinical utility are urgently in need. Recently, miRNA has emerged as an important class of gene regulator that controls various cellular processes including cancer development. In HCC, miRNAs are frequently dysregulated, and studies have shown great promises of miRNAs as biomarkers for tumor classification, diagnosis and prognosis. Given miRNAs are highly stable in blood plasma and serum, they are suggested as a new class of noninvasive biomarker for detection of HCC. In this article, we provide an up-to-date review of the recent findings of the use of miRNAs in molecular classification of HCC tumors, diagnosis and prognosis.