BART miRNAs: an unimaginable force in the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a head and neck cancer that represents a major health burden in Southern China and Southeast Asia. Although the close association of NPC with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection has been demonstrated, its exact role in the pathogenesis of this malignancy is still unc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of cancer prevention 2017-03, Vol.26 (2), p.144-150
Main Authors: Wang, Youhong, Guo, Zhen, Shu, Yan, Zhou, Honghao, Wang, Hui, Zhang, Wei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Carcinoma - diagnosis
Carcinoma - epidemiology
Carcinoma - genetics
Carrier Proteins - genetics
Head and Neck Neoplasms - diagnosis
Head and Neck Neoplasms - epidemiology
Head and Neck Neoplasms - genetics
Humans
MicroRNAs - genetics
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - diagnosis
Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - epidemiology
Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - genetics
Review : Head & Neck Cancers
Review article
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Summary:Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a head and neck cancer that represents a major health burden in Southern China and Southeast Asia. Although the close association of NPC with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection has been demonstrated, its exact role in the pathogenesis of this malignancy is still unclear. The expression of EBV-encoded microRNAs, especially BART miRNAs, which are encoded from the BamHI-A region of the viral genome, is detected at a high level in NPC. miRNAs are small noncoding mRNAs that can positively regulate the virus to ensure accurate expression of viral genomes and to modify the gene expression of host cells by negative regulation. Accumulating evidence suggests that ebv-mir-BARTs play a critical role in host cell survival, immune escape, cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, and cancer metabolism, promoting the generation of NPC. This review will summarize our current understanding of the nature and function of ebv-mir-BARTs in NPC.
ISSN:0959-8278
1473-5709
DOI:10.1097/cej.0000000000000221