Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), an aggressive malignancy, is typically diagnosed at an advanced stage. It is associated with dismal 5-year postoperative survival rates, generating an urgent need for prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that are associated with cancer regulation, including modulation of cell cycle progression, apoptosis, metastasis, angiogenesis, autophagy, therapy resistance, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Several miRNAs have been found to be dysregulated in CCA and are associated with CCA-related risk factors. Accumulating studies have indicated that the expression of altered miRNAs could act as oncogenic or suppressor miRNAs in the development and progression of CCA and contribute to clinical diagnosis and prognosis prediction as potential biomarkers. Furthermore, miRNAs and their target genes also contribute to targeted therapy development and aid in the determination of drug resistance mechanisms. This review aims to summarize the roles of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of CCA, their potential use as biomarkers of diagnosis and prognosis, and their utilization as novel therapeutic targets in CCA.
Highlights
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) includes a diverse group of biliary epithelial malignancies that involve all points of the biliary tree
PCCA and dCCA are referred to as “extrahepatic CCA”. pCCA, the most common CCA, accounts for 50–60% of all CCAs, followed by dCCA, which accounts for 20–30% of all cases [1]. intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is the second most common primary liver cancer after hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and accounts for 10–15% of all primary hepatic malignancies [3]
A rare type of primary liver cancer, mixed hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma (HCC-CCA), accounts for
Summary
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) includes a diverse group of biliary epithelial malignancies that involve all points of the biliary tree. Depending on the anatomic location, CCAs are classified into three subtypes: intrahepatic (iCCA), perihilar (pCCA), and distal (dCCA) [1,2]. PCCA, the most common CCA, accounts for 50–60% of all CCAs, followed by dCCA, which accounts for 20–30% of all cases [1]. ICCA is the second most common primary liver cancer after hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and accounts for 10–15% of all primary hepatic malignancies [3]. A rare type of primary liver cancer, mixed hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma (HCC-CCA), accounts for
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