Disturbances in microRNA expression by epigenetic alterations and mutations may
promote not only tumorigenesis but also tumor aggressiveness, invasion,
metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Several studies
have profiled microRNA expression in normal and tumorigenic tissues,
demonstrating a unique microRNA signature, which can be used as a marker for
cancer diagnosis and prognosis. This review discusses the importance of
microRNAs as regulatory biomolecules involved in cancer, focusing on microRNAs
related to cancer invasion, metastasis, epigenetic alterations, chemoresistance,
and radioresistance. The identification of both differentially expressed
microRNAs in tumors and their target genes provides new tools for gene therapy;
the re-expression of microRNAs silenced by cancer development or the silencing
of oncogenic microRNAs can be effective in the blockade of cancer-related cell
proliferation.