Here's another example of how our knowledge of microRNA's role in cancer continues to grow rapidly.

Provided below are selected paragraphs from today's story on Science Daily:

How MicroRNAs Suppress Tumor Metastasis
ScienceDaily (Oct. 28, 2009) —

Metastases are responsible for over 90% of cancer deaths. In the upcoming issue of G&D, Dr. Robert Weinberg (MIT) and colleagues lend molecular insight into how microRNAs suppress tumor metastasis.

Dr. Weinberg's group previously showed that the human microRNA, miR-31, suppresses breast cancer metastasis and that its expression is associated with patient outcome. miR-31 regulates the expression of almost 200 genes. However, in this new paper, the authors identify that re-introduction of three miR-31 targets is sufficient to completely reverse miR-31's influence on metastasis.