The role of microRNAs on autophagy in cervical cancer: review

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the top five most common cancers among women worldwide. A key cellular alteration in CC is the dysregulation of autophagy a vital process for maintaining cell homeostasis by degrading and recycling damaged components via lysosomes. Disrupted autophagy is associated with various stages of cancer development. This review explores the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating autophagy in cervical cancer. miRNAs influence autophagy by targeting specific genes or signaling pathways, acting either as promoters or suppressors of the process. Many microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in autophagy are dysregulated in cervical cancer. For example, miR-203, miR-34a, miR-23b, miR-100, and miR-145, known to activate autophagic proteins in various diseases, are found to be suppressed in cervical cancer. This highlights the significant potential of miRNAs in regulating autophagy, making them valuable as diagnostic and prognostic markers, as well as therapeutic targets.