Analysis of the abnormalities of microRNA and epigenome and the clinical application in gastroenterological cancers

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MicroRNAs (miRNA) constitute a class of small non-coding RNA molecules that function as post-transcriptional gene regulators. miRNAs can function as oncogenes or tumour suppressors. Therefore, they have been increasingly recognized as useful biomarkers for various human cancers. Metachronous gastric cancer (GC) can develop after endoscopic resection of GC and cannot be predicted based on clinical signature. We identified that DNA methylation of microRNA-34b/c (miR-34b/c) in the mucosa of the noncancerous gastric body may be a useful biomarker for predicting the risk of metachronous GC. With regard to colorectal cancers (CRCs), using miRNA array analysis, we recently discovered that microRNA-31 (miR-31) expression is significantly up-regulated in BRAF-mutated colorectal cancers (CRCs) compared with that in wild-type CRCs. Moreover, associations were identified between miR-31 expression, proximal tumor location and poor prognosis for CRCs. Moreover, the results of functional analysis showed that miR-31 may regulate BRAF activation and that the oncogenic role of miR-31 and its possibility of therapeutic target in CRCs. Thus, our current data suggest that miR-31 may be a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target in CRC. These novel data may lead to the establishment of a new therapeutic target or a theranostic procedure in gastroenterological cancers.