The relationship between microRNAs and EMT process in cervical cancer

Abstract

There is still a high prevalence of cervical cancer (CC) in females. The treatment effect of advanced-stage CC patients is poor and once the tumour transfer to other body organs, the final survival rate decreases dramatically. The epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT) process is a critical factor in the progression and metastasis of CC. EMT allows epithelial cells to acquire mesenchymal characteristics, and enables them to invade surrounding tissues and migrate to distant sites. This transition enhances the aggressiveness and metastatic potential of CC cells, and contributes significantly to disease advancement and spread. Understanding and targeting the mechanisms regulating EMT are crucial for developing effective therapeutic interventions to prevent or inhibit the metastasis of CC. This process was firstly recognized as a special cell differentiation process during organogenesis, in more recent years it has been re-known as a significant component in the progression and metastasis. Multiple microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to act as controllers of different EMT transcription factors like twist, snail, and ZEB1/2 proteins. All these special miRNAs were discussed in detail in this review. In addition, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circRNAs can regulate the miRNA/EMT axis as upstream mediators, and some anti-tumor agents can target the miRNA/EMT axis to affect the metastasis of CC. In summary, this study highlighted a broad range of miRNAs that may play critical roles in the EMT process of CC. Understanding the relationship between miRNAs and EMT could provide valuable insights into developing new and more effective therapeutic strategies to combat CC progression and metastasis. By targeting these miRNAs and their associated pathways involved in the EMT process, it may be possible to develop more targeted and personalized treatments to ameliorate the negative effects of cervical pathogenesis through EMT.