miRNAs as colorectal cancer biomarkers: current progress and future challenges

Colorectal cancer is a common pathology, accounting for approximately 8% of cancer deaths. The induction of a metastatic cascade heralds a potentially devastating end point with limited curative therapeutic options and early detection is, therefore, crucial. Novel diagnostic and predictive biomarkers are urgently required as current candidates lack sensitivity and specificity, particularly in the context of early disease. miRNAs are a group of short noncoding RNAs which regulate gene expression at a post-transcriptional level and have recently been shown to hold promise as fecal, circulating or tissue biomarkers. This review explores current progress and future challenges in this rapidly expanding field.