Progress of microRNA-29b in tumors

MicroRNA (miRNA) is a kind of highly conserved microRNA molecules that regulate gene expression after transcriptional levels in eukaryotes. Numerous evidences indicate that miRNA can regulate malignant phenotypes of neoplasms by repressing the expressions of critical oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, and abnormal expression of miRNA becomes one of the most important features of cancer. The expression of miR-29b was low in multiple types of tumors and its up-regulated expression will depress the expression of some target genes, which plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of various neoplasms and is expected to serve as a biomarker for early diagnosis and prognosis assessment becoming a novel target of drug development and new treatment. Key words: miR-29b; Tumor-suppressor gene; Targeted gene; Neoplasms