microRNAs join the p53 network–another piece in the tumour-suppression puzzle.

Abstract:: Several recent studies have found a conserved microRNA (miRNA) family, the miR-34s, to be direct transcriptional targets of p53. miR-34 activation can recapitulate elements of p53 activity, including induction of cell-cycle arrest and promotion of apoptosis, and loss of miR-34 can impair p53-mediated cell death. These data reinforce the growing awareness that non-coding RNAs are key players in tumour development by placing miRNAs in a central role in a well-known tumour-suppressor network.

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