MicroRNAs regulate several functions of normal tissues and malignancies

MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are a cluster of naturally occurring small non-coding RNA molecules of 19–24 nucleotides in length. miRs control gene expression post-transcriptionally by binding to a specific site at the 3′-UTR of target mRNA, which results in mRNA cleavage and translation repression. Nearly 1000 miRs in the human genome have been identified, and it is believed that these miRs contribute to at least 60% of the human transcriptome. Recent research has shown that miRs are emerging as important regulators of cellular differentiation and dedifferentiation. In addition, dysregulation of miR expression may play a fundamental role in the onset, progression and dissemination of cancers. In this review, we focus on some paradigms of miR involvement in tumorigenesis, such as ovarian cancer, and also discuss the relationship between miRs and cancer stem cells.