Ovarian CAFs

In the cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) of epithelial ovarian cancer, miR-31 and miR-214 were downregulated, while miR-155 was upregulated (Mitra et al 2012). MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that downregulate gene expression post transcriptionally by binding to mRNA. Furthermore, Mitra and colleagues found that inducing this phenotype in normal fibroblasts using miRNAs and miRNA inhibitors yielded a functional conversion of normal fibroblasts to CAFs, and the reverse experiment caused reversion of CAFs to normal fibroblasts.  These promising findings will be the basis of my treatment regarding cancer associated fibroblasts. To further explain, I tried to elucidate the mechanisms by which epigenetic changes in these specific miRNAs may cause the phenotype observed by Mitra and colleagues.