MicroRNA-129 in Human Cancers: from Tumorigenesis to Clinical Treatment

Emerging evidence has shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in regulating human cancers development and progression. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be further explored. MiRNAs are a class of endogenous, non-coding, 18-24 nucleotide length single-strand RNAs that moderate gene expression primarily at post-transcriptional level. There is a growing body of literature that recognizes the importance of microRNA (miR)-129 during the development of cancers. Aberrant expression of miR-129 has been detected in various types of human cancers and the validated target genes are involved in cancer-related biological processes such as DNA methylation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, and metastasis. In this review, we summarized the roles of miR-129 family members and their target genes in tumorigenesis and clinical treatment of human cancers, highlighting the potential roles of miR-129 as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, and promising tools for cancer treatment.