The Application of CRISPR/Cas9 Technology for Editing MicroRNAs in Cancer Research
The Application of CRISPR/Cas9 Technology for Editing MicroRNAs in Cancer Research
Sedigheh Sadat Mortazavi,1Sedigheh Gharbi,2,*
1. Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran. 2. Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
Introduction: As the second leading cause of death, cancers are still a significant public health problem, imposing a heavy financial burden on societies worldwide. Cancer is a multifactorial disease with diverse genetic and epigenetic alterations. As critical epigenetic regulators, microRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in every step of cancer development. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated nuclease 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system has evolved as a revolutionary genome-editing technology with great potential to assist cancer therapies especially those related to non-coding RNAs. Moreover, increasing evidence has revealed that CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology can target small non-coding RNAs, such as miRNAs, and represent a novel strategy to modify their expression and function in diseases like cancers.
Methods: Two databases (PubMed and Google Scholar) were searched based on the selected keywords, including 'cancer' and 'CRISPR' and 'microRNA,' to identify relevant articles that described CRISPR/Cas9 technology application for editing miRNAs in various cancers. Obtained results were filtered from the year 2017 to 2021. After reviewing abstracts and finding related articles, we summarize information in several sections covering a brief review of CRISPR technology, its applications on tumor therapies, as well as modifying miRNAs in human cancers.
Results: After integrating information from the databases mentioned above, 65 articles were obtained for further investigations. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, scientists have shed light on miRNA functions in cancers, such as oncogenicity and drug resistance. For example, miRNAs play critical roles in the development of cancers. Recently scientists used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to introduce different mutations in the precursor sequence of oncogenic miRNAs and alter their biogenesis by Drosha/Dicer. Their results demonstrated a reduction in the expression of oncogenic miRNA and eventually inhibition of proliferation and invasion of the cancer cells.
Conclusion: MiRNAs could serve as novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets in cancers. Therefore, the combination of CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technology with miRNA therapeutics can improve the understanding of the cancer nature and eventually hold immense therapeutic promise for cancer patients.