Down-regulation of dicer expression in ovarian cancer tissues.

OBJECTIVES Although numerous recent studies have focused on analyses of microRNA expression profiles in cancer cells, the expression patterns of the enzymes responsible for the generation of miRNAs remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Dicer mRNA expression is altered during progression of ovarian cancer. DESIGN AND METHODS Total RNA was extracted from ovarian tissue specimens (normal, benign and malignant tumors). The expression of Dicer was analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS We analyzed a total of 34 ovarian tissue samples and found that Dicer mRNA expression is down-regulated in the majority of ovarian tumors when compared to normal tissues. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the levels of Dicer mRNA should be evaluated as a potential new candidate biomarker for ovarian cancer.