Affiliation:
1. Laboratory for Applied Science and Technology in Health, Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz),
Prof Algacyr Munhoz Mader 3775 Street, Curitiba, Parana, ZIP 81350-010, Brazil
Abstract
Abstract:
Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects white blood cells. In this disease, immature blood
cells undergo genetic mutations, leading to excessive replication and reduced cell death compared to
healthy cells. In cancer, there may be the activation of oncogenes and the deactivation of tumor suppressor
genes that control certain cellular functions. Despite the undeniable contribution to the patient's
recovery, conventional cancer treatments may have some not-so-beneficial effects. In this case,
gene therapy appears as an alternative to classical treatments. Gene therapy delivers genetic material
to cells to replace or modify dysfunctional genes, a safe method for neoplasms. One of the types of
nucleic acids explored in gene therapy is microRNA (miRNA), a group of endogenous, non-proteincoding,
small single-stranded RNA molecules involved in the regulation of gene expression, cell division,
differentiation, angiogenesis, migration, apoptosis, and carcinogenesis. This review aims to bring
together the most recent advances found in the literature on cancer gene therapy based on microRNAs
in the oncological context, focusing on leukemia.
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
Subject
Genetics (clinical),Drug Discovery,Genetics,Molecular Biology,Molecular Medicine