Development of microRNA‐based therapeutic approaches for cancer patients

Summary

Over the past few decades, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) have attracted a great deal of attention from researchers and clinicians. These molecules have been extensively studied from the standpoint of developing biopharmaceuticals against various diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancers. siRNA suppresses only a single target, whereas each miRNA regulates the expression of the multiple target genes. More importantly, because miRNAs are also secreted from cancer cells, and their aberrant expression is associated with tumor development and progression, they represent not only therapeutic targets but also promising biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. Therefore, miRNAs may be more effective tools against cancers, in which multiple signal pathways are dysregulated. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the development of miRNA therapeutics for the treatment of cancer patients, and describe delivery systems for oligonucleotide therapeutics.

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