Functional consequences of A-to-I editing of miR-379 in prostate cancer cells.

Prostate cancer is the predominant cause of cancer in men, but there is still a lack of biomarkers and treatments for metastatic spread. The initial promise of microRNAs to provide avenues to solve these problems has been dampened by the realisation that microRNAs co-exist in multiple functionally distinct isoforms, for example due to A-to-I editing. We recently found that A-to-I-editing of microRNA-379 (miR-379) was associated with prostate cancer, and that only the unedited isoform was negatively correlated with aggressive disease.

Expression of microRNA-379 reduces metastatic spread of prostate cancer.

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common type of cancer in males, and the metastatic form is a leading cause of death worldwide. There are currently no curative treatments for this subset of patients. To decrease the mortality of this disease, greater focus must be placed on developing therapeutics to reduce metastatic spread.