Biomarker MicroRNAs for Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Functional Survey and Comparison

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with high incidence and mortality rate. Precision and effective biomarkers are therefore urgently needed for the early diagnosis and prognostic estimation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators which play functions in various cellular processes and biological activities. Accumulating evidence indicated that the abnormal expression of miRNAs are closely associated with HCC initiation and progression. Recently, many biomarker miRNAs for HCC have been identified from blood or tissues samples, however, the universality and specificity on clinicopathological features of them are less investigated. In this review, we comprehensively surveyed and compared the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic roles of HCC biomarker miRNAs in blood and tissues based on the cancer hallmarks, etiological factors as well as ethnic groups, which will be helpful to the understanding of the pathogenesis of biomarker miRNAs in HCC development and further provide accurate clinical decisions for HCC diagnosis and treatment.