MicroRNAs in the thyroid

Abstract

The microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA comprising approximately 19–25 nucleotides. miRNAs can act as tumour suppressors or oncogenes, and aberrant expression of miRNAs has been reported in several human cancers and has been associated with cancer initiation and progression. Recent evidence suggests that miRNAs play a major role in thyroid carcinogenesis. In this review, we summarize the role of miRNAs in thyroid cancer and describe the oncogenic or tumour suppressor function of miRNAs as well as their clinical utility as prognostic or diagnostic markers in thyroid cancer.

miR‐206 inhibits thyroid cancer proliferation and invasion by targeting RAP1B

“…miRNAs generally regulate the expression of proteins by directly binding to 3′‐untranslated regions (3′‐UTR) of target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. They also play critical roles in essential biological processes, including cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and apoptosis . An increasing number of investigations have reported aberrant expression of miR‐206 in multiple cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer, and established that miR‐206 functions as a suppressor in tumor progression.…”

“…MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a type of noncoding RNA with approximately 19 to 25 nucleotides in length. 4 miRNAs generally regulate the expression of proteins by directly binding to 3′-untranslated regions (3′-UTR) of target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. They also play critical roles in essential biological processes, including cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and apoptosis.…”

“…They also play critical roles in essential biological processes, including cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. 4 An increasing number of investigations have reported aberrant expression of miR-206 in multiple cancers, including breast cancer, 5 lung cancer, 6 and colon cancer, 7 and established that miR-206 functions as a suppressor in tumor progression. For instance, elevated miR-206 expression inhibited proliferation and invasion via decreasing expression of NAMPT 8 and coronin 1C 5 in breast cancer, and HDAC6 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.…”

Incremental utility of expanded mutation panel when used in combination with microRNA classification in indeterminate thyroid nodules

“…15,26,27 Although PIK3CA and PTEN mutations have been reported in follicular thyroid cancer, poorly differentiated thyroid cancers, and anaplastic thyroid cancer, [28][29][30] they can also be found in benign thyroid adenomas, as can GNAS and ALK mutations and THADA-and PPARG-related fusions. [46][47][48][49][50] A multiplatform approach using a combination of a mutation panel and a microRNA risk classifier has been shown to effectively "rule-in" and "rule-out" high risk of malignancy with results being predictive of surgical treatment decisions that are appropriately aligned with cancer risk. 15 Although the predictive value for malignancy of these oncogenic changes is not well understood when found individually, it is well established that coexistence of many of these oncogenic changes along with other oncogenic drivers is generally associated with aggressive forms of thyroid cancer and poor prognosis.…”

“…In contrast to mutations and fusions that occur at the intracellular level, microRNAs are uniquely designed to travel from one cell to another, regulating intercellular communication across multiple pathways, which places them central to understanding the transition from pre-cancer states through malignant transformation and spread of cancers. [46][47][48][49][50] A multiplatform approach using a combination of a mutation panel and a microRNA risk classifier has been shown to effectively "rule-in" and "rule-out" high risk of malignancy with results being predictive of surgical treatment decisions that are appropriately aligned with cancer risk. 6,51,52 Furthermore, microRNA risk classification has been shown to help to reclassify cancer risk in both the absence of mutational change and the presence of mutations that have lower positive predictive values for malignancy, with strong positive microRNA classifier results offering extremely high specificity for malignancy.…”