Abstract
Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive and often fatal cancer associated with asbestos exposure. The disease originates in the mesothelial lining of the serosal cavities, most commonly affecting the pleura. Survival rates are low as diagnosis often occurs at an advanced stage and current treatments are limited. Identifying new diagnostic and therapeutic targets for mesothelioma remains a priority, particularly for the new wave of victims exposed to asbestos through do-it-yourself renovations and in countries where asbestos is still mined and used. Recent advances have demonstrated a biological role for the small but powerful gene regulators microRNA (miRNA) in mesothelioma. A number of potential therapeutic targets have been identified. MiRNA have also become popular as potential biomarkers for mesothelioma due to their stable expression in bodily fluid and tissues. In this review, we highlight the current challenges associated with the diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma and discuss how targeting miRNA may improve diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic approaches.
Highlights
The mesothelium is a monolayer of cells extending over the surface of the serosal cavities and organs
This study revealed that miR-29c-5p may be a tumour suppressor in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and is a potential therapeutic target [67]
The inhibition of let-7b in the same cell lines blocked the cytotoxicity of ursolic acid treatment and together, these results suggest that let-7b may regulate apoptosis and inhibit epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) during ursolic acid treatment of MPM [74]
Summary
The mesothelium is a monolayer of cells extending over the surface of the serosal cavities and organs. Novel drugs targeting CTLA-4 and PD-1 have been approved for the treatment of melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and are being tested in ongoing trials for many cancers including MPM [39]. During the search for novel therapeutic and diagnostic targets for mesothelioma, the small but powerful gene regulators microRNA (miRNA) have become of interest. A number of miRNA have been identified as aberrantly expressed in MPM with a select few shown to regulate cell activity. MiR-29c-5p was suggested as a potential mediator of methylation in MPM after the expression of the DNA methyltransferases DNMT1 and DMT3A were reduced
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