MicroRNAs in Tumor Cell Metabolism: Roles and Therapeutic Opportunities

Dysregulated metabolism is a common feature of cancer cells and is considered a hallmark of cancer. Altered tumor-metabolism confers an adaptive advantage to cancer cells to fulfill the high energetic requirements for the maintenance of high proliferation rates, similarly, reprogramming metabolism confers the ability to grow at low oxygen concentrations and to use alternative carbon sources. These phenomena result from the dysregulated expression of diverse genes, including those encoding microRNAs (miRNAs) which are involved in several metabolic and tumorigenic pathways through its post-transcriptional-regulatory activity. Further, the identification of key actionable altered miRNA has allowed to propose novel targeted therapies to modulated tumor-metabolism. In this review, we discussed the different roles of miRNAs in cancer cell metabolism and novel miRNA-based strategies designed to target the metabolic machinery in human cancer.

• Publication year

  2019

• Venue

  Frontiers in Oncology

• Publication date

  2019-12-11

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3389/fonc.2019.01404PMID 31921661PMCID 6917641
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• The Microbiome and Cancer

  2021cited by this paper
• The Warburg effect: essential part of metabolic reprogramming and central contributor to cancer progression

  2019cited by this paper
• The effect of metformin therapy on incidence and prognosis in prostate cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

  2019cited by this paper
• The Potential for microRNA Therapeutics and Clinical Research

  2019cited by this paper
• Simvastatin induces breast cancer cell death through oxidative stress up-regulating miR-140-5p

  2019cited by this paper
• MicroRNA‑192 acts as a tumor suppressor in colon cancer and simvastatin activates miR‑192 to inhibit cancer cell growth.

  2019cited by this paper
• MiR-9 promotes tumorigenesis and angiogenesis and is activated by MYC and OCT4 in human glioma

  2019cited by this paper
• Epigenetic Influences in the Obesity/Colorectal Cancer Axis: A Novel Theragnostic Avenue

  2019cited by this paper
• miR-450a acts as a tumor suppressor in ovarian cancer by regulating energy metabolism.

  2019cited by this paper
• Cell Biology International

  2019cited by this paper
• Cancer-associated fibroblasts promote prostate cancer malignancy via metabolic rewiring and mitochondrial transfer

  2019cited by this paper
• Metformin Treatment Suppresses Melanoma Cell Growth and Motility through Modulation of microRNA Expression

  2019cited by this paper
• Hypoxia-Modified Cancer Cell Metabolism

  2019cited by this paper
• Data highlighting miR-155 and GAPDH correlation

  2019cited by this paper
• miR-140-5p induces cell apoptosis and decreases Warburg effect in chronic myeloid leukemia by targeting SIX1

  2019cited by this paper
• MicroRNA-940 inhibits glioma progression by blocking mitochondrial folate metabolism through targeting of MTHFD2.

  2019cited by this paper
• Warburg effect and its role in tumourigenesis

  2019cited by this paper
• Cancer Metabolism Drives a Stromal Regenerative Response.

  2019cited by this paper
• Targeted inhibition of MCT4 disrupts intracellular pH homeostasis and confers self-regulated apoptosis on hepatocellular carcinoma.

  2019influential reference
• HIF-1-Dependent Reprogramming of Glucose Metabolic Pathway of Cancer Cells and Its Therapeutic Significance

  2019cited by this paper
• microRNA-Mediated Tumor–Microbiota Metabolic Interactions in Colorectal Cancer

  2019cited by this paper
• Dichloroacetate restores colorectal cancer chemosensitivity through the p53/miR-149-3p/PDK2-mediated glucose metabolic pathway

  2019cited by this paper
• Differentially Expressed miRNAs Influence Metabolic Processes in Pituitary Oncocytoma

  2019cited by this paper
• [Research progress of microRNAs in regulation of lipid metabolism-related proteins for influencing the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma].

  2019cited by this paper
• Aspirin ameliorates lung cancer by targeting the miR‐98/WNT1 axis

  2019cited by this paper
• The cancer microbiome

  2019cited by this paper
• The microbiome, cancer, and cancer therapy

  2019cited by this paper
• MiR-135 suppresses glycolysis and promotes pancreatic cancer cell adaptation to metabolic stress by targeting phosphofructokinase-1

  2019cited by this paper
• Plant-Derived Exosomal MicroRNAs Shape the Gut Microbiota.

  2018cited by this paper
• Lactate dehydrogenase A: A key player in carcinogenesis and potential target in cancer therapy

  2018cited by this paper
• Loss of function of miR-342-3p results in MCT1 over-expression and contributes to oncogenic metabolic reprogramming in triple negative breast cancer

  2018cited by this paper
• MicroRNAs regulate survival in oxygen-deprived environments

  2018influential reference
• MicroRNA-1291 effects on pancreatic cancer (PC) cells sensitivity to arginine deprivation and chemotherapy through modulation of ASS1 and GLUT1.

  2018cited by this paper
• p53 mutants cooperate with HIF-1 in transcriptional regulation of extracellular matrix components to promote tumor progression

  2018cited by this paper
• The ERK and JNK pathways in the regulation of metabolic reprogramming

  2018cited by this paper
• Cobomarsen, an oligonucleotide inhibitor of miR‐155, co‐ordinately regulates multiple survival pathways to reduce cellular proliferation and survival in cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma

  2018cited by this paper
• The isomiR-140-3p-regulated mevalonic acid pathway as a potential target for prevention of triple negative breast cancer

  2018cited by this paper
• Association of Analgesic Use With Risk of Ovarian Cancer in the Nurses’ Health Studies

  2018cited by this paper
• Metabolic changes in tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages: A mutual relationship.

  2018cited by this paper
• Association Between Aspirin Use and Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

  2018cited by this paper
• Preclinical evaluation of novel fatty acid synthase inhibitors in primary colorectal cancer cells and a patient-derived xenograft model of colorectal cancer

  2018cited by this paper
• MicroRNA-129-5p Regulates Glycolysis and Cell Proliferation by Targeting the Glucose Transporter SLC2A3 in Gastric Cancer Cells

  2018cited by this paper
• miR-197 is downregulated in cervical carcinogenesis and suppresses cell proliferation and invasion through targeting forkhead box M1.

  2018cited by this paper
• American Gut: an Open Platform for Citizen Science Microbiome Research

  2018cited by this paper
• LDHA is a direct target of miR‐30d‐5p and contributes to aggressive progression of gallbladder carcinoma

  2018cited by this paper
• The miR‐139‐5p regulates proliferation of supratentorial paediatric low‐grade gliomas by targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 signalling

  2018cited by this paper
• Metformin reduces the risk of cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes

  2018cited by this paper
• Novel role of miR-133a-3p in repressing gastric cancer growth and metastasis via blocking autophagy-mediated glutaminolysis

  2018cited by this paper
• p53 and metabolism: from mechanism to therapeutics

  2018cited by this paper
• MiR-33a and statins collaboratively reduce the proliferative capacity of prostate cancer cells

  2018cited by this paper
• MiR-323a-3p suppressed the glycolysis of osteosarcoma via targeting LDHA

  2018cited by this paper
• Regulation of glycolytic metabolism by autophagy in liver cancer involves selective autophagic degradation of HK2 (hexokinase 2)

  2018cited by this paper
• Combination therapy to checkmate Glioblastoma: clinical challenges and advances

  2018cited by this paper
• MicroRNA Regulation of Glycolytic Metabolism in Glioblastoma

  2017cited by this paper
• Safety and activity of microRNA-loaded minicells in patients with recurrent malignant pleural mesothelioma: a first-in-man, phase 1, open-label, dose-escalation study.

  2017cited by this paper
• Abstract P6-11-09: Heavily pre-treated breast cancer patients show promising responses in the first in human study of the first-In-class fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitor, TVB-2640 in combination with paclitaxel

  2017cited by this paper
• Tumor LDH-A expression and serum LDH status are two metabolic predictors for triple negative breast cancer brain metastasis

  2017cited by this paper
• Influence of microRNAs and Long Non-Coding RNAs in Cancer Chemoresistance

  2017cited by this paper
• Sensitization of melanoma cells to temozolomide by overexpression of microRNA 203 through direct targeting of glutaminase‐mediated glutamine metabolism

  2017cited by this paper
• Influences of the Gut Microbiota on DNA Methylation and Histone Modification

  2017cited by this paper
• miR-30a-5p suppresses breast tumor growth and metastasis through inhibition of LDHA-mediated Warburg effect.

  2017cited by this paper
• Understanding the Intersections between Metabolism and Cancer Biology.

  2017cited by this paper
• Role of MicroRNA Regulation in Obesity-Associated Breast Cancer: Nutritional Perspectives.

  2017cited by this paper
• MiR-200c inhibits bladder cancer progression by targeting lactate dehydrogenase A

  2017cited by this paper
• A first-in-human first-in-class (FIC) trial of the monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) inhibitor AZD3965 in patients with advanced solid tumours.

  2017cited by this paper
• Role of microRNAs in obesity and obesity-related diseases

  2017cited by this paper
• MicroRNA-153 regulates glutamine metabolism in glioblastoma through targeting glutaminase

  2017cited by this paper
• Exosome-derived microRNAs in cancer metabolism: possible implications in cancer diagnostics and therapy

  2017cited by this paper
• Mitochondrial OXPHOS Induced by RB1 Deficiency in Breast Cancer: Implications for Anabolic Metabolism, Stemness, and Metastasis.

  2017cited by this paper
• Cancer metabolism: New insights into classic characteristics

  2017cited by this paper
• Metformin-induced ablation of microRNA 21-5p releases Sestrin-1 and CAB39L antitumoral activities

  2017cited by this paper
• MYC‐driven inhibition of the glutamate‐cysteine ligase promotes glutathione depletion in liver cancer

  2017cited by this paper
• MicroRNAs-Mediated Regulation of Skeletal Muscle GLUT4 Expression and Translocation in Insulin Resistance

  2017influential reference
• Concurrent treatment with simvastatin and NF-κB inhibitor in human castration-resistant prostate cancer cells exerts synergistic anti-cancer effects via control of the NF-κB/LIN28/let-7 miRNA signaling pathway

  2017cited by this paper
• Carcinogenesis and therapeutics: the microbiota perspective

  2017cited by this paper
• Overexpression of hypoxia-inducible factor and metabolic pathways: possible targets of cancer

  2017cited by this paper
• Dietary metabolites derived from gut microbiota: critical modulators of epigenetic changes in mammals

  2017cited by this paper
• Acetylsalicylic Acid Governs the Effect of Sorafenib in RAS-Mutant Cancers

  2017cited by this paper
• Epigenetic silencing of microRNA-137 enhances ASCT2 expression and tumor glutamine metabolism

  2017cited by this paper
• Deregulation of miRNAs in malignant pleural mesothelioma is associated with prognosis and suggests an alteration of cell metabolism

  2017cited by this paper
• MicroRNAs-Based Inter-Domain Communication between the Host and Members of the Gut Microbiome

  2017cited by this paper
• miR-361-5p modulates metabolism and autophagy via the Sp1-mediated regulation of PKM2 in prostate cancer.

  2017cited by this paper
• Phase I study of MRX34, a liposomal miR-34a mimic, administered twice weekly in patients with advanced solid tumors

  2017cited by this paper
• Small Molecule Inhibition of microRNA-210 Reprograms an Oncogenic Hypoxic Circuit.

  2017cited by this paper
• Statin improves survival in patients with EGFR-TKI lung cancer: A nationwide population-based study

  2017cited by this paper
• Rapamycin-induced miR-21 promotes mitochondrial homeostasis and adaptation in mTORC1 activated cells

  2017cited by this paper
• Microbiome, inflammation and colorectal cancer.

  2017cited by this paper
• Molecular features that predict the response to antimetabolite chemotherapies

  2017cited by this paper
• Interaction between Host MicroRNAs and the Gut Microbiota in Colorectal Cancer

  2017cited by this paper
• Fusobacterium nucleatum Increases Proliferation of Colorectal Cancer Cells and Tumor Development in Mice by Activating Toll-Like Receptor 4 Signaling to Nuclear Factor-κB, and Up-regulating Expression of MicroRNA-21.

  2017cited by this paper
• The miR-125a/HK2 axis regulates cancer cell energy metabolism reprogramming in hepatocellular carcinoma

  2017cited by this paper
• Glycolysis gatekeeper PDK1 reprograms breast cancer stem cells under hypoxia

  2017cited by this paper
• Metformin Induces Growth Inhibition and Cell Cycle Arrest by Upregulating MicroRNA34a in Renal Cancer Cells

  2017cited by this paper
• Fatty acid synthase is a primary target of MiR-15a and MiR-16-1 in breast cancer

  2016cited by this paper
• Abstract 1010: Evaluation of small-molecule FASN inhibitors in preclinical models of colorectal cancer

  2016cited by this paper
• miRNA-451 inhibits glioma cell proliferation and invasion by downregulating glucose transporter 1

  2016cited by this paper
• Metabolic shift toward oxidative phosphorylation in docetaxel resistant prostate cancer cells

  2016cited by this paper
• CD46 Activation Regulates miR-150–Mediated Control of GLUT1 Expression and Cytokine Secretion in Human CD4+ T Cells

  2016cited by this paper
• Can you teach old drugs new tricks?

  2016cited by this paper
• Fundamentals of cancer metabolism

  2016cited by this paper

• TNKS1 mediates the PTEN-PI3K/AKT pathway to regulate glycolysis and proliferation in gliomas

  2026cites this paper
• Molecular Mediators of Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancer: Mechanisms, Regulatory Networks, and Therapeutic Strategies

  2025cites this paper
• When Fat Talks: How Adipose-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Fuel Breast Cancer

  2025cites this paper
• Deciphering the dual role of autophagy in gastric cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer: from tumor suppression to cancer progression

  2025cites this paper
• Astragalus mongholicus and Hedyotis diffusa willd inhibit cell proliferation by attenuating the miR-582-3p-p27 signaling pathway in LUAD

  2025cites this paper
• MicroRNA-665 and its potential role in drug response and survival outcomes in multiple myeloma: a preliminary study

  2025cites this paper
• Mitochondrial micro RNAs: Crucial players in carcinogenesis

  2025cites this paper
• MiR-326: Role and significance in brain cancers

  2025cites this paper
• FOXO3a/miR-4259-driven LDHA expression as a key mechanism of gemcitabine sensitivity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

  2025cites this paper
• Soy Isoflavone Genistein Enhances Tamoxifen Sensitivity in Breast Cancer via microRNA and Glucose Metabolism Modulation

  2025cites this paper
• Harnessing the power of proteins in modulation of miRNAs for targeting Iron deficiency Anemia: Opinion for future implications and strategies

  2025cites this paper
• Prostate cancer biomarkers: from early diagnosis to precision treatment

  2024cites this paper
• TWIST1/miR-199a axis promotes tumor aggressiveness through inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation in carcinomas

  2024cites this paper
• Emerging Therapeutic Frontiers in Prostate Health: Novel Molecular Targets and Classical Pathways in comparison with BPH and Prostate Cancer.

  2024cites this paper
• Harnessing natural compounds to modulate miRNAs in breast cancer therapy

  2024cites this paper
• Potential Use of MicroRNA Technology in Thalassemia Therapy

  2024cites this paper
• MiR-155 deficiency and hypoxia results in metabolism switch in the leukemic B-cells

  2024cites this paper
• Hallmarks of cancer resistance

  2024cites this paper
• Unsaturated Fatty Acid Synthesis Is Associated with Worse Survival and Is Differentially Regulated by MYCN and Tumor Suppressor microRNAs in Neuroblastoma

  2024cites this paper
• miR181a/b-1 controls osteocyte metabolism and mechanical properties independently of bone morphology.

  2023cites this paper
• miRNA-Based Technologies in Cancer Therapy

  2023cites this paper
• Beyond the genome: lncRNAs as regulators of the PI3K/AKT pathway in lung cancer.

  2023cites this paper
• Unsaturated fatty acid synthesis is associated with poor prognosis and differentially regulated by MYCN and tumor suppressor microRNAs in neuroblastoma

  2023cites this paper
• Pre-operative Neo-adjuvant Chemotherapy Related miRNAs as Key Regulators and Therapeutic Targets in Colorectal Cancer.

  2023cites this paper
• MiRNAs: Emerging agents for therapeutic effects of polyphenols on ovarian cancer.

  2023cites this paper
• The Role of miRNAs in the Development, Proliferation, and Progression of Endometrial Cancer

  2023cites this paper
• The role of noncoding RNAs in metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells

  2023cites this paper
• Identification of potential microRNAs regulating metabolic plasticity and cellular phenotypes in glioblastoma

  2022cites this paper
• Anti-miR-135/SPOCK1 axis antagonizes the influence of metabolism on drug response in intestinal/colon tumour organoids

  2022cites this paper
• Therapeutic Metabolic Reprograming Using microRNAs: From Cancer to HIV Infection

  2022cites this paper
• MicroRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network Mediates Activation of mTOR and VEGF Signaling in African American Prostate Cancer

  2022cites this paper
• The Current Status of SSRP1 in Cancer: Tribulation and Road Ahead

  2022cites this paper
• MicroRNAs in the Regulation of Solute Carrier Proteins Behind Xenobiotic and Nutrient Transport in Cells

  2022cites this paper
• The Metabolic Signature of AML Cells Treated With Homoharringtonine

  2022cites this paper
• miRNAs as molecular biomarkers for prostate cancer.

  2022cites this paper
• Metabolic and epigenetic orchestration of (CAR) T cell fate and function.

  2022cites this paper
• Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Lung Cancer Cells Induce Transformation of Normal Fibroblasts into Lung Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Promote Metastasis of Lung Cancer by Delivering lncRNA HOTAIR

  2022cites this paper
• An appraisal of the current status of inhibition of glucose transporters as an emerging antineoplastic approach: Promising potential of new pan-GLUT inhibitors

  2022cites this paper
• miRNAs in Regulation of Tumor Microenvironment, Chemotherapy Resistance, Immunotherapy Modulation and miRNA Therapeutics in Cancer

  2022cites this paper
• The diagnostic significance of circulating miRNAs and metabolite profiling in early prediction of breast cancer in Egyptian women

  2022cites this paper
• CRKL promotes hepatocarcinoma through enhancing glucose metabolism of cancer cells via activating PI3K/Akt

  2021cites this paper
• Small non-coding RNAs in human cancer: function, clinical utility, and characterization

  2021cites this paper
• Interaction of Gut Microbiome and Host microRNAs with the Occurrence of Colorectal and Breast Cancer and Their Impact on Patient Immunity

  2021cites this paper
• Preclinical Experimental Applications of miRNA Loaded BMSC Extracellular Vesicles

  2021cites this paper
• OTT_A_329383 5115..5129

  2021cites this paper
• MicroRNAs and Metabolism: Revisiting the Warburg Effect with Emphasis on Epigenetic Background and Clinical Applications

  2021cites this paper
• Mutant p53 Attenuates Oxidative Phosphorylation and Facilitates Cancer Stemness through Downregulating miR-200c–PCK2 Axis in Basal-Like Breast Cancer

  2021cites this paper
• CircCDYL Acts as a Tumor Suppressor in Wilms’ Tumor by Targeting miR-145-5p

  2021cites this paper
• In-silico analysis of Human miRNAs in SARS-CoV-2 Genome

  2021cites this paper
• The miR-27a/FOXJ3 Axis Dysregulates Mitochondrial Homeostasis in Colorectal Cancer Cells

  2021cites this paper
• The role of microbiota in epithelial ovarian cancer: a scoping review

  2021cites this paper
• Allele-Specific MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of a Glycolysis Gatekeeper PDK1 in Cancer Metabolism

  2021cites this paper
• The expression of miR-513c and miR-3163 was downregulated in tumor tissues compared with normal adjacent tissue of patients with breast cancer

  2021cites this paper
• Long non-coding RNA DLEU2 drives EMT and glycolysis in endometrial cancer through HK2 by competitively binding with miR-455 and by modulating the EZH2/miR-181a pathway

  2021cites this paper
• Epigenomic and Metabolomic Integration Reveals Dynamic Metabolic Regulation in Bladder Cancer

  2021cites this paper
• MicroRNA-195-5p inhibits malignant progression of gallbladder cancer by regulating Wnt3a.

  2021cites this paper
• Circular RNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Emerging Functions to Clinical Significances

  2021cites this paper
• Ssrp1 Promotes Lung Cancer Progression By Blocking The Wnt Pathway and Is Negatively Regulated By Mirna-28-5p

  2021cites this paper
• The Mechanistic Roles of ncRNAs in Promoting and Supporting Chemoresistance of Colorectal Cancer

  2021cites this paper
• Potential Role of microRNAs in inducing Drug Resistance in Patients with Multiple Myeloma

  2021cites this paper
• MicroRNA-183-5p contributes to malignant progression through targeting PDCD4 in human hepatocellular carcinoma

  2020cites this paper
• Unveiling Role of MicroRNAs as Treatment Strategy and Prognostic Markers in Triple Negative Breast cancer.

  2020cites this paper
• MicroRNAs in cancer therapy: Their involvement in oxaliplatin sensitivity/resistance of cancer cells with a focus on colorectal cancer.

  2020cites this paper
• Metformin’s Modulatory Effects on miRNAs Function in Cancer Stem Cells—A Systematic Review

  2020cites this paper
• The Role of miRNA for the Treatment of MGMT Unmethylated Glioblastoma Multiforme

  2020cites this paper
• MiR-139-5p inhibits the proliferation of gastric cancer cells by targeting Regulation of Nuclear Pre-mRNA Domain Containing 1B.

  2020cites this paper
• Interactions between the MicroRNAs and Microbiota in Cancer Development: Roles and Therapeutic Opportunities

  2020cites this paper
• microRNAs in Obesity and Metabolic Diseases

  2020cites this paper
• MiR-489-3p Reduced Pancreatic Cancer Proliferation and Metastasis By Targeting PKM2 and LDHA Involving Glycolysis

  2020cites this paper
• Revisiting the Warburg effect: historical dogma versus current understanding

  2020cites this paper
• Regulators at Every Step—How microRNAs Drive Tumor Cell Invasiveness and Metastasis

  2020cites this paper
• The Expression of miR-513c and miR-3163 was Downregulated in Tumor Tissues Compared with Margin Tissues of Patients with Breast Cancer

  2020cites this paper
• Animal Models: A Useful Tool to Unveil Metabolic Changes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

  2020influential citation
• Lipids and cancer: Emerging roles in pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.

  2020cites this paper
• The effect of metformin therapy on incidence and prognosis in prostate cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

  2019cites this paper
• Dichloroacetate restores colorectal cancer chemosensitivity through the p53/miR-149-3p/PDK2-mediated glucose metabolic pathway

  2019cites this paper
• MiR-135 suppresses glycolysis and promotes pancreatic cancer cell adaptation to metabolic stress by targeting phosphofructokinase-1

  2019cites this paper
• Regulation of glycolytic metabolism by autophagy in liver cancer involves selective autophagic degradation of HK2 (hexokinase 2)

  2018cites this paper