Circulating Serum MicroRNAs as Diagnostic Biomarkers for Cancer: A Review

Abstract

The small, non-coding RNA molecules known as microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the post-transcriptional expression of genes, but they are more than that. miRNAs play a crucial role in cellular functions, and their abnormal expression in cancer has drawn a lot of attention, making them distinctive and ground-breaking diagnostic biomarkers. They are unique in cancer diagnostics due to their exceptional stability in bodily fluids and cancer-specific profiles. The mechanisms of miRNA dysregulation in cancer, evidence for their diagnostic value, detection techniques, difficulties, and future directions are all covered in this article. Even though miRNAs have a lot of potential, problems like validation and standardization need to be resolved before they can be used in clinical settings. The diagnostic potential of miRNAs for various cancers, including prostate, colorectal, lung, and breast cancer, is examined in this review. Notable miRNAs, including miR-21, miR-141, miR-92a, and miR-155, demonstrate high sensitivity and specificity when detected via methods like quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), microarrays, and next-generation sequencing (NGS). The review examines these detection methods, discussing their advantages and disadvantages, as well as issues such as biological variability, standardization, and the necessity for comprehensive validation.