This edited reflects the current state of knowledge about the role of microRNAs in the formation and progression of solid tumours. The main focus lies on computational methods and applications, together with cutting edge experimental techniques that are used to approach all aspects of microRNA regulation in cancer. We are sure that the emergence of high-throughput quantitative techniques will make this integrative approach absolutely necessary in the near future. This book will be a resource for researchers starting out with cancer microRNA research, but is also intended for the experienced researcher who wants to incorporate concepts and tools from systems biology and bioinformatics into his work. Bioinformaticians and modellers are provided with a general perspective on microRNA biology in cancer, and the state-of-the-art in computational microRNA biology.

MicroRNA (miRNA) biology is a cutting-edge topic in basic as well as biomedical research. This is a specialized book focusing on the current understanding of the role of miRNAs in the development, progression, invasion, and metastasis of diverse types of cancer. It also reviews their potential for applications in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and th

MicroRNA (miRNA) biology is a cutting-edge topic in basic as well as biomedical research. This is a specialized book focusing on the current understanding of the role of miRNAs in the development, progression, invasion, and metastasis of diverse types of cancer. It also reviews their potential for applications in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic targets as well as the potential use in translational medicine. Chapters present comprehensive and expert perspectives on the roles of miRNAs in most common cancers from bench to bedside applications and are written by an international team of renowned experts in the field.

miRNAs are a class of endogenous, small non-protein coding RNA molecules (~ 22 nucleotides) which are novel post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Since we have hundreds of miRNAs, the major challenge is now to understand their specific biological function. In fact the experimental evidence suggests that signaling pathways could be ideal candidates for miRNA-mediated regulation. Several studies suggest that miRNAs affect the responsiveness of cells to signaling molecules such as WNT, Notch, TGF-β and EGFR. Altered expression of particular miRNAs has been implicated in the onset and development of cancer and could be used as potential biomarkers for the disease. Recently, many studies have found miRNAs have crucial regulatory roles in Cancer stem cells (CSCs) a kind of tumor initiating cells (TICs) and dormancy. Findings also suggest that DNA methylation may be important in regulating the expression of many miRNAs in several cancer initiating cells. Several miRNAs are known to either upregulated or downregulated in CSCs when compared to non-cancerous cells from the same tissues. CSCs are a small subpopulation of cells identified in a variety of tumors and involve in self-renewal, differentiation, chemoresistance and tumorigenesis. The volume will give a comprehensive account of important advancements in the area of miRNAs and cancer.

Aberrant expression and function of microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer have added a new layer of complexity to the understanding of development and progression of the disease state. It has been demonstrated that miRNAs have a crucial function in oncogenesis by regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. The expression signatures of miRNAs provide exciting opportunities in the diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of cancer. Since miRNAs can function as either oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes in oncogenesis, the potential of using these small RNAs as therapeutic targets opens up new opportunities for cancer therapy by either inhibiting or augmenting their activity.

MicroRNAs have recently emerged as key regulators of gene expression during development and are frequently misexpressed in human disease states, in particular cancer. These 22-nucleotide-long transcripts act to promote or repress cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis during development, all of which are processes that go awry in cancer. Thus, microRNAs have the ability to behave like oncogenes or tumor suppressors. In addition, their small size and molecular properties make them amenable as targets and therapeutics in cancer treatment. This book goes into detail on how microRNAs represent a paradigm shift in thinking about gene regulation during development and disease, and provide the oncologist with a potentially powerful new battery of agents to diagnose and treat cancer.

Since the discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) some twenty years ago by Victor Ambros, David Baulcombe and Gary Ruvkun, these three scientists worked to uncover the mystery of miRNA, the small segments of nucleotides that silence genes. While studying the development of the nematode worm, Ambros and Ruvkun discovered miRNA in animals, while Baulcombe discovered it in plants. Since their discovery, it took more than two decade to fully appreciate the value of miRNA in human health and diseases. Emerging evidence suggest that the activation of oncogenes and/or the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes contribute to the development and progression of tumors. The regulation of genes is by far controlled by many transcription factors which are often deregulated during the development and progression of cancer. In addition, emerging evidence clearly suggests that the deregulation of miRNAs or small non-coding RNAs could also regulate the expression of genes and likewise, miRNA genes are also regulated by transcription factors. The most attractive feature of miRNAs is that one miRNA can regulate many target genes (mRNAs) and thus miRNA targeted therapy is highly promising because multiple genes could be regulated by targeting a single miRNA, which becomes very important for the killing of highly heterogeneous populations of cancer cells within a tumor mass. Therefore, miRNA targeted therapy is an attractive attribute of miRNA research, which is covered through eighteen chapters complied in this book “MicroRNA targeted Cancer therapy” and it is hoped that the field of miRNA research will be appreciated through critical reading of these chapters on the cutting-edge research on miRNAs.