MicroRNA Regulated Stress Responses in Cancer

Cancer cells often face unique challenges as they attempt to thrive in the human body, as a result of internal or external stressors. They are often faced with two options—adapt or perish. Their responses are usually the manifestation of complex molecular signaling cascades, which are attempting to maintain cellular homeostasis despite the increasingly harsh environment. These signaling cascades are fine-tuned through constant monitoring and regulation of genes, transcripts and proteins involved. As research elucidates the participants in these complex networks, microRNAs are emerging as key players in the regulation of stress responses in cancer highlighting a potential for the exploitation of these oligonucleotides for therapeutic use. There are thousands of microRNAs, each regulating hundreds to thousands of protein’s expression levels, and this review serves to elucidate the nature of microRNAs through selected examples suggesting potential therapeutic opportunities.