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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: ERC-09-0203v1 17/1/F77    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Dahiya, N. Articles by Morin, P. J PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dahiya, N. Articles by Morin, P. J

¹ Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Institute on Aging, NIH Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Suite 100, Room 6C228, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
² Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA

(Correspondence should be addressed to P J Morin at Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Institute on Aging, NIH Biomedical Research Center; Email: morinp{at}mail.nih.gov)

This paper is one of 6 papers that form part of a special Focus Section on microRNAs. The Guest Editors for this section were Professor Alfredo Fusco, Naples, Italy, and Professor Carlo M Croce, Columbus, OH, USA.

The molecular mechanisms involved in epithelial ovarian cancer initiation and progression are just beginning to be elucidated. In particular, it has become evident that microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs), a class of molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression, play a major role in ovarian tumorigenesis. Several microRNA profiling studies have identified changes in microRNA patterns that take place during ovarian cancer development. While most deregulated microRNAs are down-regulated in cancer, and may therefore act as tumor suppressors, others are elevated and may represent novel oncogenes in this disease. A number of microRNAs identified as aberrantly expressed in ovarian carcinoma have been shown to have important functional roles in cancer development and may therefore represent targets for therapy. In addition, some of the microRNA patterns may have prognostic significance. The identification of functional targets represents a major hurdle in our understanding of microRNA function in ovarian carcinoma, but significant progress is being made. It is hoped that a better understanding of the microRNA expression and roles in ovarian cancer may provide new avenues for the detection, diagnosis, and therapy of this deadly disease.

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