A growing number of studies have highlighted the role of microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) in the development and progression of cancer. In particular, the aberrant expression of cancer-related proteins, such as oncogenes and tumor suppressors has been shown to correlate with the modulation of the expression of specific miRNAs. In the present study, we aimed to determine which downregulated miRNAs may...

It is reported that different microRNA (miRNA) profiles can be detected in the blood of cancer patients. We investigated that whether the key serum miRNAs could discriminate patients with and without breast cancer. This study was divided into three parts: (1) miRNA marker discovery using SOLiD sequencing-based miRNA profiling on cancerous and adjacent noncancerous breast tissue of one breast ca...

Specific types of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause cervical cancer. Cervical cancers exhibit aberrant cellular microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns. By genome-wide analyses, we investigate whether the intracellular and exosomal miRNA compositions of HPV-positive cancer cells are dependent on endogenous E6/E7 oncogene expression. Deep sequencing studies combined with qRT-PCR analyses show tha...

Cellular senescence of normal human cells has by now far exceeded its initial role as a model system for aging research. Many reports show the accumulation of senescent cells in vivo, their effect on their microenvironment and its double-edged role as tumour suppressor and promoter. Importantly, removal of senescent cells delays the onset of age-associated diseases in mouse model systems. To ch...

The MYC oncogene, which is frequently deregulated in human cancers, encodes a master transcription factor c-Myc (herein termed Myc) that integrates cell proliferation with metabolism through its regulation of thousands of genes including microRNAs (miRNA). In addition to its known function in regulating the cell cycle and glucose metabolism, recent studies document a role for Myc in stimulating...

We examined changes in the expression of 13 selected skeletal muscle microRNAs (miRNAs) implicated in exercise adaptation responses following a single bout of concurrent exercise. In a randomized cross-over design, seven healthy males undertook a single trial consisting of resistance exercise (8 × 5 leg extension, 80% 1 Repetition Maximum) followed by cycling (30 min at ~70% VO2peak) with eithe...

Cryptosporidium parvum is a protozoan parasite that infects the gastrointestinal epithelium and causes diarrheal disease worldwide. Innate epithelial immune responses are key mediators of the host's defense to C. parvum. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level and are involved in regulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses. Using an in vitro mode...

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in muscle atrophy, reduced force generation and an oxidative-to-glycolytic fiber type shift. The mechanisms responsible for these alterations remain incompletely understood. To gain new insights regarding mechanisms involved in deterioration of muscle after SCI, global expression profiles of miRs in paralyzed gastrocnemius muscle were compared between sham-opera...

The study aims to explore the potential relationships of evolution, maturation, expression and function between homologous/clustered miRNAs. mir-23 ∼ 27 ∼ 24 gene cluster, including the two gene clusters (mir-23a and mir-23b) and the three miRNA gene families (mir-23, mir-27 and mir-24), was typically selected as an example. These related miRNAs show similar evolutionary patterns and various ex...

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), especially microRNAs, are reported to be involved in a variety of biological processes, including several processes related to drug addiction. It has been suggested that the biological functions of opioids, one typical type of addictive drugs, are regulated by ncRNAs. In the current review, we examine a variety of mechanisms through which ncRNAs could regulate μ-opioid...