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Clinical Application of MicroRNA Testing in Neuroendocrine Tumors of the Gastrointestinal Tract

2014; Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute; Volume: 19; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3390/molecules19022458

1433-1373

Caterina Vicentini, Matteo Fassan, Edoardo D’Angelo, Vincenzo Corbo, Nicola Silvestris, Gerard J. Nuovo, Aldo Scarpa,

Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology Research

It is well documented that dysregulation of microRNAs is a hallmark of human cancers. Thus, this family of small non-coding regulatory molecules represents an excellent source of sensitive biomarkers. Unique microRNAs expression profiles have been associated with different types and subsets of gastrointestinal tumors including gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). GEP-NETs are a heterogeneous group of epithelial neoplasms with neuroendocrine differentiation. At present, early detection and surgical resection of GEP-NETs represent the best chance for a cure. Thus, clinically useful biomarkers for GEP-NETs that strongly correlate with early detection are urgently needed. The purpose of this review is to summarize the role of miRNAs in GEP-NET carcinogenesis and their possible use as novel diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers.