MicroRNA-139, an Emerging Gate-Keeper in Various Types of Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Gene Regulation

Background:

• MicroRNA 139 (MIR139) is frequently silenced in various solid and hematological cancers.
• MIR139 acts as a crucial tumor suppressor by modulating cellular stress responses and inhibiting oncogenic signaling pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the multifaceted roles of MIR139 as a tumor suppressor.
• To provide an overview of the transcriptional mechanisms regulating MIR139 expression under oncogenic stress across different cancer types.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on MIR139 expression, silencing mechanisms, and tumor-suppressive functions.
• Analysis of recent findings on epigenetic silencing, transcriptional inhibition, competing RNAs, and post-transcriptional regulation of MIR139.

Main Results:

• Multiple mechanisms contribute to MIR139 silencing in tumor cells, including epigenetic alterations and transcriptional/post-transcriptional repression.
• These silencing mechanisms appear to be common across diverse cancer types.
• Reactivation of MIR139 in cancer cells leads to suppressed tumor cell proliferation and induced apoptosis via targeting oncogenic mRNAs.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the regulation and tumor-suppressive activities of MIR139 offers potential for novel cancer therapeutic strategies.
• MIR139's role as a tumor suppressor is conserved across various cancers, highlighting its significance in oncogenesis.