Function of miRNA in controlling drug resistance of human cancers.

Drug resistance is a major obstacle to successful cancer treatment. The identification of new approaches that can circumvent this problem will lead to improved clinical strategies and outcomes for cancer patients. MicroRNAs, key post-transcriptional gene regulators, are known to be master regulators of many cellular processes, including drug resistance. Drug resistance related microRNAs can be used to stratify patients and select those treatment options most likely to prove efficacious for a particular individual. This review summarizes the recent advances in drug resistance related microRNAs in cancer, and also analyzes the clinical and therapeutic applications they provide. We also envisage future developments toward the potential applications of these microRNAs to cancer treatment. In the future, more investigations should be performed to promote the success of therapeutic-clinical use of microRNAs in cancer.