CCR Connections (News NIH) - Big Things in Small Packages: Small RNAs Play a Big Role in Cancer Biology

"Exquisitely tuned gene expression is essential to orchestrate both the development and functioning of the myriad cell types in the human body. When that tuning goes awry, one result is cancer. Small microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged relatively recently as key modulators of gene expression, acting at a stage between transcription of the genes and translation into proteins. Although they are tiny, miRNAs—at a little over 20 nucleotides long—pack a big punch since each regulates a variety of genes, and they are involved in diverse pathological processes, including cell proliferation and death...."