Despite intensive research on epithelial ovarian cancer over the last decade, there is still an urgent need to develop new genetic markers and treatments to detect, treat and cure the disease.
It was recently discovered that so-called microRNAs, short RNA molecules that are not translated into protein, play a major role in the origin and the progression of ovarian cancer.
Carlo Croce and Gianpiero Di Leva from the Ohio State University here review the most recent evidence on this subject.
After discussing the essentials of microRNA activity in human cancer, the authors show that the measurement of the expression profile of microRNAs within the ovary can be used to identify neoplastic tissues, to distinguish between subtypes of ovarian cancers, and to predict the response to chemotherapy.
Croce and di Leva conclude that microRNAs are a powerful avenue for the detection and diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
URL: http://www.frontiersin.org/Women%27s_Cancer/10.3389/fonc.2013.00153