Role of MicroRNA in Breast Cancer

Abstract

Breast Cancer is the commonest cancer affecting women worldwide especially in Asia. Several proteinaceous,genetic and epigenetic biomarkers areallied with the disease but their efficacy as vigorous and robust indicators of disease remains uncertain. The need to detectand differentiate aggressive from non-aggressive breast tumors at cellular level is being investigated. MicroRNAs seem to be a promising marker to identify the disease before it reaches aggressive level. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small 18-24 nucleotide RNAs which regulate the expression of approximately 30% of human genes. Their expression is frequently deregulated in cancers. .miRNAshave been found in significantly large copy numbers in serum/plasma of cancer patients. The stability of the serum miRNAs is not compromised even if the samples are treated with RNase or incubated at room temperature over prolong periods or subjected to repeated freeze-thaw cycles. miRNAs that are breast cancer-specific can therefore be employed as disease predicting biomarkers.