miR than meets the eye

Genes Dev. 2011 Aug 15;25(16):1663-7. doi: 10.1101/gad.17454011.

Abstract

Retinoblastoma is a rare pediatric cancer that has served as a paradigm to investigate the mechanisms of tumorigenesis. In this issue of Genes & Development, Conkrite and colleagues (pp. 1734-1745) found high levels of the miR-17~92 and miR-106b-25 microRNAs in primary retinoblastomas and show that overexpression of miR-17~92 accelerates retinoblastoma development in mice by promoting proliferation, in part by reducing expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p21. These experiments identify the RB/miR-17~92/p21 axis as a critical regulator of retinoblastoma tumorigenesis and potentially many other cancers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Mutation*
  • Pregnancy
  • Retinoblastoma / genetics*
  • Retinoblastoma Protein / genetics*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics*

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • Retinoblastoma Protein