Microribonucleic acids: from lost in translation to the new central dogma of mammary neoplasms in humans and dogs

Abstract

For a long time, microRNAs (miRNAs) were commonly considered mere intermediate products without any function. In the past decade, the increasing number of publications on the involvement of miRNAs in oncogenesis and the progression of neoplasms has made them attractive targets, since the malfunction of miRNAs in cells can lead to the dysregulation of tumor suppressor genes and/or oncogenes. Among neoplasms, human breast neoplasms (HBNs) are frequently diagnosed. Many similarities in epidemiological factors and histopathological aspects between HBNs and canine mammary neoplasms (CMNs), combined with computational analyses showing miRNA similarity between HBNs and CMNs, suggest the dog as a role model for studying HBNs. This review aims to describe recent advances in the literature and key findings in the evaluation of miRNAs in both HBNs and CMNs.