Advances in molecular biomarkers for gastric cancer: miRNAs as emerging novel cancer markers

Abstract

Carcinoma of the stomach is one of the most prevalent cancer types in the world. Although the incidence of gastric cancer is declining, the outcomes of gastric cancer patients remain dismal because of the lack of effective biomarkers to detect early gastric cancer. Modern biomedical research has explored many potential gastric cancer biomarker genes by utilising serum protein antigens, oncogenic genes or gene families through improving molecular biological technologies, such as microarray, RNA-Seq and the like. Recently, the small noncoding microRNAs (miRNAs) have been suggested to be critical regulators in the oncogenesis pathways and to serve as useful clinical biomarkers. This new class of biomarkers is emerging as a novel molecule for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, including gastric cancer. By translational suppression of target genes, miRNAs play a significant role in the gastric cancer cell physiology and tumour progression. There are potential implications of previously discovered gastric cancer molecular biomarkers and their expression modulations by respective miRNAs. Therefore, many miRNAs are found to play oncogenic roles or tumour-suppressing functions in human cancers. With the surprising stability of miRNAs in tissues, serum or other body fluids, miRNAs have emerged as a new type of cancer biomarker with immeasurable clinical potential.

Circular RNA participates in the carcinogenesis and the malignant behavior of cancer

“…Meanwhile, miR-125a is reduced in gastric cancer cells, leading to the suppression of CDK6, together with reduced cell growth and lack of apoptosis. [39][40][41] Meanwhile, certain microRNAs contain several conserved binding sites for circRNAs, which hint at a possible role of circRNAs in controlling the biological function of microRNAs. Within ncRNA-mediated networks, the crosstalk and competence between circRNAs and microRNAs is the key to our understanding of carcinogenesis.…”

miR‑203a suppresses cell proliferation by targeting E2F transcription factor 3 in human gastric cancer

“…A high proportion of patients with GC are diagnosed at a late stage, when extensive invasion and lymphatic metastasis may have already occurred (2,3). Even following surgical resection, mortality due to recurrent disease as a result of metastasis and drug resistance is frequent (4,5).…”

The Pathogenesis of Gastric Carcinoma

“…Nonetheless, those patients who had undergone surgery for gastric malignancy would have exhibited precancerous lesions such as atrophic gastritis and IM, and the possibility of Elroy Patrick Weledji anastomotic recurrence is higher than for the patients who had undergone benign gastric surgery (38,49,52). At present, there are no other recognized good markers of gastric dysplasia or cancer and residual premalignant (type III) IM may be the only marker for anastomotic recurrence of gastric cancer (38,(53)(54)(55). Micro RNAs are currently being evaluated as a specific diagnostic and prognostic marker (55).…”

“…At present, there are no other recognized good markers of gastric dysplasia or cancer and residual premalignant (type III) IM may be the only marker for anastomotic recurrence of gastric cancer (38,(53)(54)(55). Micro RNAs are currently being evaluated as a specific diagnostic and prognostic marker (55).…”