Unlocking the potential of signature-based drug repurposing for anticancer drug discovery.

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide and is often associated with tumor relapse even after chemotherapeutics. This reveals malignancy is a complex process, and high-throughput omics strategies in recent years have contributed significantly in decoding the molecular mechanisms of these complex events in cancer. Further, the omics studies yield a large volume of cancer-specific molecular signatures that promote the discovery of cancer therapy drugs by a method termed signature-based drug repurposing.

miR-203a-A multifaceted regulator modulating cancer hallmarks and therapy response.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs of about 19-25 nucleotides, which serve as critical modulators of various cellular and biological processes by target gene regulation. Dysregulated expression of miRNAs modulates the pathophysiology of various human diseases, including cancer. Among miRNAs, miR-203a is one of the most extensively researched dysregulated miRNAs in different cancers.