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©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Nov 26, 2014; 6(5): 591-597
Published online Nov 26, 2014. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v6.i5.591
Published online Nov 26, 2014. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v6.i5.591
Roles of microRNA-140 in stem cell-associated early stage breast cancer
Benjamin Wolfson, Gabriel Eades, Qun Zhou, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
Author contributions: Wolfson B wrote the manuscript; Eades G reviewed the manuscript; Zhou Q designed the aim of the review and reviewed the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Qun Zhou, Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 108 North Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States. qzhou@som.umaryland.edu
Telephone: +1-410-7061615 Fax: +1-410-7068297
Received: July 28, 2014
Revised: September 5, 2014
Accepted: September 16, 2014
Published online: November 26, 2014
Revised: September 5, 2014
Accepted: September 16, 2014
Published online: November 26, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: MiR-140 is an important tumor suppressor. By inhibiting stem cell growth through interaction with the Wnt, SOX2 and SOX9 pathways, breast cancer initiation, progression and growth are reduced. miR-140 is progressively downregulated as breast cancer grade decreases, through both estrogen binding and differential methylation in the miR-140 promoter region. By targeting these mechanisms using epigenetic therapy miR-140 tumor suppressor signaling can be reactivated.