MicroRNAs (
miRNA, miR) are short - 19-25
nucleotide long - single stranded (in their mature form),
non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression mostly at the posttranscriptional level.
microRNAs are involved in the regulation of various physiological processes such as cell differentiation and proliferation, development, haematopoesis, cell death, while their aberrant expression is observed in numerous diseases, like autoimmune disorders,
inflammations,
vascular diseases or
tumorigenesis.
microRNAs are expressed in a tissue specific fashion. Beyond their appearance in tissues, they can be found in body fluids as well.
microRNAs are present in blood, mother milk, semen, saliva, urine, etc.
MicroRNAs in body fluids, especially the blood-borne circulating
microRNAs can be exploited as minimally invasive
biomarkers of
tumor diagnosis. The number of endocrine
tumor-associated
circulating microRNA alterations is relatively low, mostly described for
papillary thyroid cancer,
adrenocortical cancer, ovarian and
neuroendocrine tumors. As the histological diagnosis including the establishment of
malignancy of some of these
neoplasms is difficult, studies on circulating
microRNAs might have great perspectives. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(13), 483-490.