[MicroRNA in uro-oncology : New hope for the diagnosis and treatment of tumors?].

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that regulate basic cellular processes and are associated with cancer characteristics. The aim of this review is to summarize the principles of miRNA biogenesis and function and to describe their contribution to tumor development, especially in uro-oncology. Therefore a PubMed search was conducted. Up to March 2009 approximately 4,500 miRNA-related articles were cited in this database. Studies of miRNA expression and functional analyses prove their impact in carcinogenesis and their potential as diagnostic or prognostic markers or as novel therapeutic targets. Only a few miRNA-related studies have been published in uro-oncology so far. Although tumor-specific miRNA expression has been shown for urological neoplasms, the contradicting data show that miRNA research is still in its infancy in this field. A systematic elucidation of characteristic miRNA abnormalities could decisively improve diagnostics as well as therapy of urological tumors.