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World J Gastroenterol. Sep 14, 2014; 20(34): 12007-12017
Published online Sep 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i34.12007
MicroRNAs as potential biomarkers for gastric cancer
Han-Shao Liu, Hua-Sheng Xiao
Han-Shao Liu, Hua-Sheng Xiao, National Engineering Research Center for Biochip at Shanghai, Shanghai 201203, China
Han-Shao Liu, Hua-Sheng Xiao, Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory for Disease and Health Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Shanghai 201203, China
Han-Shao Liu, Advanced Institute of Translational Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Author contributions: Liu HS wrote the manuscript; Xiao HS revised the manuscript for critical intellectual content.
Supported by Grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30900745; and the National High-Tech Research and Development Program (863 Program), No. 2012AA020103
Correspondence to: Hua-Sheng Xiao, PhD, National Engineering Research Center for Biochip at Shanghai, No. 151 Libing Rd., Shanghai 201203, China. huasheng_xiao@shbiochip.com
Telephone: +86-21-51320288 Fax: +86-21-51320266
Received: October 29, 2013
Revised: May 6, 2014
Accepted: June 12, 2014
Published online: September 14, 2014
Processing time: 324 Days and 0.7 Hours
Abstract

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the world and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. More than 80% of diagnoses occur at the middle to late stage of the disease, highlighting an urgent need for novel biomarkers detectable at earlier stages. Recently, aberrantly expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) have received a great deal of attention as potential sensitive and accurate biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. This review summarizes the current knowledge about potential miRNA biomarkers for gastric cancer that have been reported in the publicly available literature between 2008 and 2013. Available evidence indicates that aberrantly expressed miRNAs in gastric cancer correlate with tumorigenesis, tumor proliferation, distant metastasis and invasion. Furthermore, tissue and cancer types can be classified using miRNA expression profiles and next-generation sequencing. As miRNAs in plasma/serum are well protected from RNases, they remain stable under harsh conditions. Thus, potential functions of these circulating miRNAs can be deduced and may implicate their diagnostic value in cancer detection. Circulating miRNAs, as well as tissue miRNAs, may allow for the detection of gastric cancer at an early stage, prediction of prognosis, and monitoring of recurrence and/or lymph node metastasis. Taken together, the data suggest that the participation of miRNAs in biomarker development will enhance the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic and prognostic tests for gastric cancer.

Keywords: MicroRNAs; Gastric cancer; Biomarker; Clinical application

Core tip: Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death, and > 80% of cases are diagnosed at the middle to late disease stage. Novel biomarkers for the detection of early stage gastric cancer are therefore urgently needed. Recent recognition of a correlation between aberrantly expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) and cancer-related processes has highlighted the potential of miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic markers. Detection of miRNAs, in tissue as well as in serum/plasma, may enhance the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic and prognostic tests for early stage gastric cancer, and provide a means to monitor recurrence and/or lymph node metastasis.