The Role of miRNAs in Breast Cancer Bone Metastases

MicroRNAs are small single-stranded RNA molecules, approximately 22 nucleotides long that bind to the 3' untranslated region of the mRNA of their target gene.In that way, they can regulate important cellular processes such as apoptosis, proliferation, survival, differentiation, and diseases such as cancer.Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in the female population and appears to primarily be a disease of the developed world, likely due to the modern lifestyle.Breast cancer cells have tropism for bone tissue cells, which explains the high rate of metastases to bones, which are usually of an osteolytic nature.In recent years, research studies have shown that miRNAs are important regulators of the biology and metastatic behavior of breast cancer cells, modifying the expression of specific genes that promote or hinder metastatic potential.Such miRNAs are called oncogenic and tumor-suppressive, respectively.Further knowledge on this field of study may prove very important for the treatment or prevention of breast cancer metastases, as these miRNAs could serve as potential future biomarkers or therapeutic targets.