MicroRNA-7: A critical sensitizer for TRAIL sensitivity in glioblastoma cells

TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) is a promising anticancer agent because of its tumor-specifc apoptosis inducer activity without affecting normal cells. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) emerge as important regulators of cell viability. Our recent studies showed that miR-7 is a potential sensitizer for TRAIL-induced apoptosis in glioblastoma (GBM) cells, and XIAP is a critical gene in the apoptotic process as a direct downstream gene of miR-7. Additionally, this regulatory axis could also exert in other types of tumor cells. More importantly, we confirmed that co-delivery of sTRAIL and tumor suppressor miR-7 by MSCs leads to synergistic cancer killing effect. Thus, miR-7 has been demonstrated to be a critical sensitizer for TRAIL-induced apoptosis through regulating XIAP and highlights a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of GBM.