MicroRNA-145: a potent tumour suppressor that regulates multiple cellular pathways

MicroRNAs are endogenous, small (18-25 nucleotides) non-coding RNAs, which regulate genes expression by directly binding to the 3-untranslated regions of the target messenger RNAs. Emerging evidence shows that alteration of microRNAs is involved in cancer development. MicroRNA-145 is commonly down-regulated in many types of cancer, regulating various cellular processes, such as the cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis and invasion, by targeting multiple oncogenes. This review aims to summarize the recent published literature on the role of microRNA-145 in regulating tumourigenesis and progression, and explore its potential for cancer diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.