The importance of microRNAs in the stroma-breast cancer cell interplay

Issue title: An update from the Romanian international meeting “Cancer molecular pathobiology in the clinics: Highlights”

Guest editors: Ioana Berindan Neagoex and Angelo Paradisoy

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Susman, Sergiu^{a; b; *; 1} | Tomuleasa, Ciprian^{b; c; d; 1} | Fekete, Zsolt^e | Pilato, Brunella^h | Irimie, Alexandru^{b; f} | Berindan-Neagoe, Ioana^{b; d; g}

Affiliations: [a] Departement of Morphological Sciences, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, Cluj Napoca, Romania | [b] The Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Cluj Napoca, Romania | [c] Department of Internal Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University Schoolof Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA | [d] Department of Immunology, “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, Cluj Napoca, Romania | [e] Department of Radiotherapy, “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, Cluj Napoca, Romania | [f] Department of Surgery, “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, Cluj Napoca, Romania | [g] Department of Functional Genomic, “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, Cluj Napoca, Romania | [h] National Cancer Research Center, Istituto Tumori G Paolo II, Bari, Italy | [x] The University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iuliu Hatieganu, Cluj, Napoca, Romania | [y] National Cancer Research Center, Istituto Tumori G Paolo II, IRCCS, Bari, Italy

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Sergiu Susman, Department of Pathology, Ion Chiricuta Comprehensive Cancer, Cluj Napoca, Romania. E-mail: sergiu.susman@umfcluj.ro.

Note: [1] These authors contributed equally to the present study.

Abstract: Breast cancer is one of the most diagnosed cancers in women. Despite outstanding progress over the past few years, breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women. This fact emphasizes the need for improved diagnostic and prognostic markers, as well as improved understanding of cancer environment, including the crosstalk between epithelial and stromal cells. The tumor microenvironment is paramount in breast cancer progression and dissemination. Accumulating evidence indicates that epigenetic phenomena such as microRNAs are extremely important in cancer homeostasis. Through the improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the microenvironment-mediated promotion of cancer growth and metastasis, novel targets for therapeutic intervention or early diagnosis may be identified.

Keywords: Breast cancer, tumor microenvironement, microRNA

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-130318

Journal: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 14, no. 2-3, pp. 137-144, 2014