RNA interference (RNAi) is the process of sequence-specific post-transcriptional gene silencing triggered by double-stranded RNAs1–3. In attempts to identify RNAi triggers that effectively function at lower concentrations, we found that synthetic RNA duplexes 25–30 nucleotides in length can be up to 100-fold more potent than corresponding conventional 21-mer small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Som...

b-Adrenergic receptor blockers (b-blockers) are commonly used to treat heart failure, but the biologic mechanisms governing their efficacy are still poorly understood. The complexity ofb-adrenergic signaling coupled with the influence of receptor polymorphisms makes it difficult to intuit the effect of b-blockers on cardiac physiology. While some studies indicate that b-blockers are efficacious...

MicroRNA-221 and microRNA-222 (miR-221/222) have been identified as oncogenes and confirmed to be overexpressed in various types of cancer. However, the regulation mechanism of miR-221/222 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains to be fully elucidated. Previously, an miR-221/222 sponge was successfully constructed and its effect on the downregulation of miR-221/222 expression was investi...

Increased miR-222 levels are associated with a poor prognosis in patients with bladder cancer. However, the role of miR-222 remains unclear. In the present study, we found that miR-222 enhanced the proliferation of both the T24 and the 5637 bladder cancer cell lines. Overexpression of miR-222 attenuated cisplatin-induced cell death in bladder cancer cells. miR-222 activated the Akt/mTOR pathway...

microRNAs have been shown to play critical roles in regulating the chemosensitivity of cancer cells. As a member of the oncogenic miRNAs (oncomiRs), miR-222 has been reported to drive the oncogenesis of many types of malignancies. However, little is known concerning the specific role of miR-222 in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The present study explored the role and mechanism of mi...