Dicer In Cancer Research Articles

The paradox of dicer in cancer

ABSTRACTDicer has been well studied in cancer; however, deciphering its exact function in tumorigenesis continues to be a challenge. While partial suppression or truncation of Dicer promotes tumorigenesis, its complete deletion inhibits tumor growth. Here, we discuss this Dicer cancer conundrum in the context of its recently discovered role in the DNA damage response.

Down-regulation of Dicer expression in cervical cancer tissues

Dicer is a component of the MicroRNA-producing machinery. The altered expression of Dicer may play a role in oncogenesis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of Dicer in cervical cancer tissues and its significance. Cancer tissues, para-cancer tissues and corresponding normal tissues were obtained from 31 cervical cancer patients undergoing surgery. Expression levels of Dicer mRNA were evaluated in these tissues using the real-time reverse transcription PCR. The association of the Dicer expression levels with clinical characteristics was also examined. The expression levels of Dicer mRNA were decreased in 66.7% (18/27) and 76.9% (20/26) of cervical cancer and para-cancer specimens, respectively, compared with corresponding normal tissues. The lower expression levels of Dicer in cancer tissues were associated with advanced tumor stages (p = 0.03) and with metastasis (p = 0.01). The down-regulation of Dicer expression in cancer and para-cancer tissues was observed. The lower expression of Dicer in cancer tissues demonstrated to be associated with tumor stages and metastasis. Future studies with a greater number of tissues to more conclusively determine the extent of low-level expression of Dicer in cervical cancer are warranted.