AUTHOR=Saito Yoshimasa , Suzuki Hidekazu , Matsuura Misa , Sato Ayami , Kasai Yusuke , Yamada Kana , Saito Hidetsugu , Hibi Toshifumi TITLE=MicroRNAs in Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Cancers JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics VOLUME=2 YEAR=2011 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2011.00066 DOI=10.3389/fgene.2011.00066 ISSN=1664-8021 ABSTRACT=
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that function as endogenous silencers of numerous target genes. Hundreds of miRNAs have been identified in the human genome. miRNAs are expressed in a tissue-specific manner and play important roles in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. Aberrant expression of miRNAs may also contribute to the development and progression of human hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancers. Recent studies have shown that some miRNAs play roles as tumor suppressors or oncogenes in hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancers.