MicroRNA and Cancer Therapeutics

MicroRNA are short non-coding RNA segments discovered in the last two decades. These short nucleotides play an important role in the regulation of gene expression and have been investigated as promising cancer therapeutics. Two studies (“Detection of dietary plant-based small RNAs in animals” and “A novel chemopreventive strategy based on therapeutic microRNAs produced in plants“) in Cell Research investigated the ability of plants to deliver microRNAs. Molecular biologists Kendal Hirschi, an author on one of the studies, and Ken Witwer discuss the research and the possibility of using microRNAs therapeutically.