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. 2021 Jul 20;3(3):zcab030. doi: 10.1093/narcan/zcab030

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

miRNA dysregulation in cancer and miRNA-based therapeutics strategies. In cancer, oncogenic miRNAs are upregulated while tumor suppressive miRNAs are downregulated, both of which contribute to disease progression (sustained proliferation, activation of metastasis and invasion, induction of angiogenesis, and resistance to death). To overcome miRNA dysregulation, two miRNA-based therapeutic strategies have been developed. Bottom left, when a tumor suppressive miRNA is downregulated, miRNA levels can be upregulated through exogenous delivery of synthetic miRNAs or through small molecules that can restore normal miRNA biogenesis. Restoring tumor suppressive miRNAs levels downregulates the expression of target cancer oncogenes, inhibiting disease progression. Bottom right, conversely, when an oncogenic miRNA is upregulated, the miRNA can be inhibited using antisense oligonucleotides, miRNA sponges, or small molecule inhibitors. Oncogenic miRNAs inhibition upregulates the expression of tumor suppressor proteins which helps to inhibit disease progression.