How does microRNA relate to cancer?

Cancer cells exhibit characteristic alterations in microRNA expression. Specific miRNAs that promote tumor growth (oncogenic miRNAs or 'oncomiRs') are overexpressed, while tumor-suppressive miRNAs are silenced. This disruption begins at the very earliest stages of malignant transformation — often before symptoms appear, before tumors are large enough to be seen on imaging, and before traditional protein biomarkers like PSA or CA-125 rise to detectable levels. More than 80,000 peer-reviewed studies have examined the relationship between specific miRNAs and cancer. The three markers used by OncuraKit — miR-21-5p, miR-375-3p, and miR-141-3p — have each been individually validated across more than 700 studies and 70,000 patient and control samples.