miR-21 joins the oncogene ranks

Yale University researchers have reported that microRNA-21 is an oncogene that drives the development-and maintenance-of hematological malignancies in mice.¹ The team now plans to antagonize the molecule to treat blood cancers and, potentially, solid tumors.

Previous tissue profiling studies have found that multiple tumor types abnormally overexpress miR-21, including hematological malignancies,^2,3glioblastomas⁴ and colorectal, lung, breast and pancreatic cancers.⁵ The open question was if miR-21 overexpression merely correlated with disease or if it was a true oncogene capable of triggering cancer and driving disease progression...