MicroRNA 205-5p (miR-205-5p) (miR-205-5p)

MicroRNA 205-5p (miR-205-5p) is a small non-coding RNA molecule that plays a critical role in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression by binding to the 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) of target messenger RNAs. It is predominantly expressed in epithelial tissues and is a master regulator of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), primarily through the direct targeting of the E-cadherin repressors ZEB1 and ZEB2 (Gregory et al., Nature Cell Biology, 2008). In the context of oncology, miR-205-5p exhibits a dual nature; it acts as a tumor suppressor in breast and prostate cancers by inhibiting metastasis and sensitizing cells to chemotherapy, while it may function as an oncomir in other contexts like squamous cell carcinoma (Iorio et al., Cancer Research, 2009). Beyond cancer, it is involved in wound healing and the maintenance of epithelial stemness by regulating the PI3K/Akt pathway (Yu et al., FASEB Journal, 2010). Therapeutic approaches currently under investigation include the use of synthetic miR-205 mimics to restore its suppressive function in depleted tumors and antagomirs to block its activity where it promotes disease progression.

Other names

hsa-miR-205-5pMIR205miR-205

Post-transcriptional gene silencing via the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) to inhibit translation or promote degradation of target mRNAs (Gregory et al., Nature Cell Biology, 2008).