miRNA-223 at the crossroads of inflammation and cancer.

miR-223 is an evolutionarily conserved anti-inflammatory microRNA primarily expressed in myeloid cells. miR-223 post-transcriptionally regulates many genes essential in inflammation, cell proliferation, and invasion. Recent studies show that miR-223 is either endogenously expressed or transferred in exosomes or extracellular vesicles to non-phagocytic cells including cancer cells, where it exerts biological functions. In cancerous cells, miR-223 acts either as an oncomiR promoting tumors or as a tumor suppressor in a context-dependent manner. Taken together, miR-223 can regulate tumorigenesis at multiple levels, including by suppressing the inflammatory tumor microenvironment and modulating malignancy of cancer cells.