Sun QH, Kuang ZY, Zhu GH, Ni BY, Li J. Multifaceted role of microRNAs in gastric cancer stem cells: Mechanisms and potential biomarkers. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2024; 16(2): 300-313 [PMID: 38425402 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i2.300]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jie Li, MD, PhD, Chief Doctor, Doctor, Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 5 North Line Pavilion, Xicheng District, Beijing 100053, China. qfm2020jieli@yeah.net
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Feb 15, 2024; 16(2): 300-313 Published online Feb 15, 2024. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i2.300
Multifaceted role of microRNAs in gastric cancer stem cells: Mechanisms and potential biomarkers
Qian-Hui Sun, Zi-Yu Kuang, Guang-Hui Zhu, Bao-Yi Ni, Jie Li
Qian-Hui Sun, Guang-Hui Zhu, Jie Li, Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China
Zi-Yu Kuang, Graduate College, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
Bao-Yi Ni, Department of Oncology, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin 150040, Heilongjiang Province, China
Co-first authors: Qian-Hui Sun and Zi-Yu Kuang.
Author contributions: Sun QH and Kuang ZY contributed equally to this work, as the co-first authors, reviewed the literature and drafted the manuscript; Zhu GH and Ni BY reviewed the literature and drew charts; Li J conceived this article.
Supported bythe National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82074402; and the Science and Technology Innovation Project of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences; No. CI2021A01802.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jie Li, MD, PhD, Chief Doctor, Doctor, Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No. 5 North Line Pavilion, Xicheng District, Beijing 100053, China. qfm2020jieli@yeah.net
Received: October 14, 2023 Peer-review started: October 14, 2023 First decision: December 22, 2023 Revised: December 31, 2023 Accepted: January 19, 2024 Article in press: January 19, 2024 Published online: February 15, 2024 Processing time: 110 Days and 21.2 Hours
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have received much attention in the past decade as potential key epigenomic regulators of tumors and cancer stem cells (CSCs). The abnormal expression of miRNAs is responsible for different phenotypes of gastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs). Some specific miRNAs could be used as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the identification of GCSCs. This review summarizes the coding process and biological functions of miRNAs and demonstrates their role and efficacy in gastric cancer (GC) metastasis, drug resistance, and apoptosis, especially in the regulatory mechanism of GCSCs. It shows that the overexpression of onco-miRNAs and silencing of tumor-suppressor miRNAs can play a role in promoting or inhibiting tumor metastasis, apart from the initial formation of GC. It also discusses the epigenetic regulation and potential clinical applications of miRNAs as well as the role of CSCs in the pathogenesis of GC. We believe that this review may help in designing novel therapeutic approaches for GC.
Core Tip: Gastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs), as progenitor cells of gastric cancer (GC), are closely related to invasion, metastasis, drug resistance, and other biological processes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in controlling the growth and differentiation mechanism of GCSC by regulating cell cycle, angiogenesis, cell invasion and migration, GCSC phenotype, and other signaling pathways. In addition, miRNAs directly or indirectly regulate the expression of tumor-promoting genes or tumor suppressor genes through different signaling pathways and it is suggested that miRNAs could be related to the initial formation of GC. In vivo, studies have shown that the biological function of GCSCs could be modulated by delivering therapeutic miRNA mimics into vivo or transgene and knockout with miRNA antagonists. It's vital to focus on whether interfering with certain miRNA levels by the methods described above leads to reversal or prevention of GC metastasis.
