The Therapeutic Role of MicroRNAs in Human Gliomas

Abstract

Gliomas represent more than a quarter of central nervous system tumors and the vast majority of all malignant brain tumors. Patients diagnosed with a glioma generally have poor prognosis; survival is especially dismal for those harboring high-grade gliomas. With little information on the causes, and limited treatment options, there is an urgent need to better understand the underlying pathophysiology of gliomas as well as validate novel therapeutic avenues. Research in the last few years has focused on microRNAs (miRNAs) as prognostic markers as well as possible therapeutic targets in all cancers, including malignant gliomas. A number of reports have validated use of miRNAs in both in vitro and in vivo experimental models as well as clinical studies. Here, we provide an up-to-date account of the role of several key miRNAs in prognosis and/or therapy of gliomas. In particular, we discuss oncogenic miRNAs such as miRNAs-21, -182, -10b, -106b, -20a and -183 as well as tumor suppressor miRNAs such as miR-34a, -25, -32, -107, -124 and -218 for their reported roles in gliomas. The available literature on miRNAs in gliomas is encouraging and additional translational and clinical studies should be undertaken for realizing the true potential of these small regulatory RNAs.