The emerging role of Epstein-Barr virus encoded microRNAs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Chunmei Fan; Yanyan Tang; Jinpeng Wang; Fang Xiong; Can Guo; Yumin Wang; Bo Xiang; Ming Zhou; Xiayu Li; Xu Wu; Yong Li; Xiaoling Li; Guiyuan Li; Wei Xiong; Zhaoyang Zeng

doi:10.7150/jca.25460

The emerging role of Epstein-Barr virus encoded microRNAs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

J Cancer. 2018 Jul 30;9(16):2852-2864. doi: 10.7150/jca.25460. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Chunmei Fan^{1

2

3}, Yanyan Tang^{1

2}, Jinpeng Wang², Fang Xiong³, Can Guo², Yumin Wang², Bo Xiang², Ming Zhou², Xiayu Li^{2

4}, Xu Wu^{2

5}, Yong Li^{2

6}, Xiaoling Li^{1

2

3}, Guiyuan Li^{1

2

3}, Wei Xiong^{1

2

3}, Zhaoyang Zeng^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
² The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Science,, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
³ The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
⁴ Hunan Key Laboratory of Nonresolving Inflammation and Cancer, Disease Genome Research Center, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA.
⁶ Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

Abstract

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an oncogenic herpes virus that is closely associated with the initiation and development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), lymphoma and other malignant tumors. EBV encodes 44 mature miRNAs that regulate viral and host cell gene expression and plays a variety of roles in biological functions and the development of cancer. In this review, we summarized the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded microRNAs (EBV miRNAs) in tumor immune evasion, proliferation, anti-apoptosis, invasion, metastasis and as a potential biomarker for NPC diagnosis and prognosis. The knowledge generated by EBV miRNAs can be used for EBV miRNA-based precision cancer treatments in the near future.

Keywords: EBV miRNAs; anti-apoptosis; biomarker; immune evasion; metastasis; nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Publication types

Review