Copyright
©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Oncol. May 10, 2014; 5(2): 71-81
Published online May 10, 2014. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v5.i2.71
Published online May 10, 2014. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v5.i2.71
Micro-RNAs as clinical biomarkers and therapeutic targets in breast cancer: Quo vadis?
Gerasimos Socrates Christodoulatos, Maria Dalamaga, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Medical School, University of Athens, “Attikon” General University Hospital, 12462 Athens, Greece
Author contributions: Christodoulatos GS wrote, revised and approved the manuscript; Dalamaga M designed, wrote, revised and approved the manuscript; the authors contributed equally to this paper.
Correspondence to: Maria Dalamaga, MD, PhD, MS, MPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Medical School, University of Athens, “Attikon” General University Hospital, Rimini#1, 12462 Athens, Greece. madalamaga@med.uoa.gr
Telephone: +30-210-5831915 Fax: +30-210-6082467
Received: December 17, 2013
Revised: February 20, 2014
Accepted: March 13, 2014
Published online: May 10, 2014
Processing time: 139 Days and 15.9 Hours
Revised: February 20, 2014
Accepted: March 13, 2014
Published online: May 10, 2014
Processing time: 139 Days and 15.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: The specific aberrant expression patterns of micro-RNAs (miRNAs) in breast cancer (BC) that are detected with the use of high-throughput technologies reflect their key role in cancer initiation, progression, migration, invasion and metastasis. The detection of circulating extracellular miRNAs in plasma of BC patients may provide novel, non-invasive biomarkers in favor of BC diagnosis and prognosis and, at the same time, accumulating evidence has underscored the possible contribution of miRNAs as valuable biomarkers to predict response to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Data from in vitro and in vivo studies on BC have revealed promising therapeutic approaches via miRNA delivery and miRNA inhibition.