MicroRNAs, SNPs and Cancer

Abstract

MiRNAs are probable regulators of cell events such as differentiation, propagation and apoptosis. These cellular phenomena are also associated with benign and malignant tumor cells, therefore, it is presumed that miRNAs act as natural oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. Whether a particular miRNA serves as either could almost be moot when the additional problems of SNPs enter the fray. A miRNA involved with SNPs (miR-SNPs) on any regulatory level, whether naturally cancerinducing or not, could easily undergo an oncogenic transformation. This work reviews targets of miRNAs and the miRNAs themselves frequently containing SNPs reflecting different risks and markers of cancer with emphasis on familial groups and populations of shared heredity.