肿瘤干细胞是肿瘤中具有干细胞特征的细胞群,其具有自我更新能力、无限增殖能力和形成肿瘤中各种组分的多向分化潜能,在肿瘤的形成、发展、转移和复发中发挥重要作用。微小RNA是一种内源性非编码小分子RNA,通过与靶基因的互补配对调控基因表达,广泛参与多种肿瘤的进程。本文主要综述微小RNA在肿瘤干细胞中的作用。
Cancer stem cells are cells with stem cell characteristics within a tumor.With increased proliferative capabilities,they are able to self-renew and develop into various cell types,and thus play important roles in the formation,development,metastasis,and recurrence of tumors.MicroRNAs are a class of endogenous,small non-protein coding RNA molecules.Through regulating the expression of genes depending on the complementation between the microRNAs and their targets,microRNAs play important roles in various human cancers.This article summarizes recent research advances in the roles of microRNAs in cancer stem cells.