Unraveling Therapeutic Opportunities and the Diagnostic Potential of microRNAs for Human Lung Cancer
Osama Sweef,
Elsayed Zaabout,
Ahmed Bakheet,
Mohamed Halawa,
Ibrahim Gad,
Mohamed Akela,
Ehab Tousson,
Ashraf Abdelghany,
Saori Furuta
Affiliations
Osama Sweef
Division of Cancer Biology, Department of Medicine, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA
Elsayed Zaabout
Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Ahmed Bakheet
Division of Cancer Biology, Department of Medicine, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA
Mohamed Halawa
Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Ibrahim Gad
Department of Statistics and Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
Mohamed Akela
Department of Biology, College of Science and Humanities in Al-Kharj, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
Ehab Tousson
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
Ashraf Abdelghany
Biomedical Research Center of University of Granada, Excellence Research Unit “Modeling Nature” (MNat), University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
Saori Furuta
Division of Cancer Biology, Department of Medicine, MetroHealth Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA
Lung cancer is a major public health problem and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite advances in treatment options, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer patients remains low, emphasizing the urgent need for innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for lung cancer due to their crucial roles in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. For example, miR-34a and miR-150, once delivered to lung cancer via liposomes or nanoparticles, can inhibit tumor growth by downregulating critical cancer promoting genes. Conversely, miR-21 and miR-155, frequently overexpressed in lung cancer, are associated with increased cell proliferation, invasion, and chemotherapy resistance. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the roles of miRNAs in lung carcinogenesis, especially those induced by exposure to environmental pollutants, namely, arsenic and benzopyrene, which account for up to 1/10 of lung cancer cases. We then discuss the recent advances in miRNA-based cancer therapeutics and diagnostics. Such information will provide new insights into lung cancer pathogenesis and innovative diagnostic and therapeutic modalities based on miRNAs.
