Our results demonstrate that the MIR155HG/miR-155 axis plays a critical role in facilitating glioma progression and serves as a prognostic factor for patient survival in glioblastoma.
The critical role of microRNAs in cancer development has been extensively described. miRNAs are both specific markers and putative therapy targets. miR-155 has been identified to be an oncomiRNA and is highly expressed in several solid cancers, including glioblastoma.
In addition, we determined that the level of MXI1 mRNA was inversely correlated with the expression of miR-155 in 18 sets of glioblastoma multiforme specimens.
The oncogene, microRNA-155, is significantly elevated in GBM (glioblastoma multiforme), regulating multiple genes associated with cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasiveness.
Since its identification 3 years ago as the miRNA most commonly and strongly up-regulated in human brain tumour glioblastoma [1], miR-21 has attracted the attention of researchers in various fields, such as development, oncology, stem cell biology and aging, becoming one of the most studied miRNAs, along with let-7, miR-17-92 cluster ('oncomir-1'), miR-155 and a few others.