Mitochondria are critical regulators of cell metabolism; thus,
mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with many metabolic disorders, including
cancer. Altered metabolism is a common property of
cancer cells that exhibit enhanced capacity to 'ferment'
glucose to
pyruvate and then
lactate, even in the presence of sufficient
oxygen to support mitochondrial metabolism. Recently, it was reported that
microRNAs (
miRNAs) regulate important signalling pathways in mitochondria and many of these
miRNAs are deregulated in various
cancers. Different regulatory mechanisms can control
miRNA expression at the genetic or epigenetic level, thus affecting the biogenetic machinery via recruitment of specific
transcription factors. Metabolic reprogramming that
cancer cells undergo during
tumorigenesis offers a wide range of potential targets to impair tumour progression.
MiRNAs participate in controlling
cancer cell metabolism by regulating the expression of genes whose
protein products either directly regulate metabolic machinery or indirectly modulate the expression of metabolic
enzymes, serving as master regulators. Thus, modulation of the level of
miRNAs may provide a new approach for the treatment of neoplastic diseases.