Table 2.
Agent | What are these agents? | Mechanism of action | Examples |
---|---|---|---|
miRNA mimetics | Synthetic small RNAs that contain the exact sequence of endogenous miRNA. They can be modified to have enhanced efficiency by increasing the affinity for a specific target and reducing other unwanted miRNA effects. | They are delivered as perfect complementary duplexes and they act by improving the RISC loading of miRNA. |
miR-26a: In a hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model this mimetic inhibited cell growth and apoptosis [34]. |
Epigenetic modifiers | Molecules that reverse DNA methylation and posttranslational histone modifications | They either inhibit methylation, or interact with enzymes that remove acetyl groups. |
5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine and 4-phenylbutyric acid: Restored tumor suppressive miR-127 levels and subsequently inactivated BCL6 proto-oncogene [36]. |
Enhancers of miRNA processing machinery | Small molecule/drug that enhances RNAi and promotes miRNA processing. | Increase the production of tumor suppressive miRNA y interacting with the binding products of the proteins that regulate miRNA maturation. |
Enoxacin: A fluoroquinolone that has been proven to increase the production of tumor suppressive miRNA by binding to the transactivation-responsive RNA-binding protein 2 (TRBP) [38]. |