Theranostics 2013, Vol. 3, Issue 12 964 Ivyspring International Publisher Theranostics 2013; 3(12):964-985. doi: 10.7150/thno.4928 Review Therapeutic Evaluation of microRNAs by Molecular Imaging Thillai V. Sekar1, Ramkumar Kunga Mohanram1, 2, Kira Foygel1, and Ramasamy Paulmurugan1 1. Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Bio-X Program, Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA. 2. Current address: SRM Research Institute, SRM University, Kattankulathur– 603 203, Tamilnadu, India Corresponding author: Ramasamy Paulmurugan, Ph.D. Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1501, South California Avenue, #2217, Palo Alto, CA 94304. Phone: 650-725-6097; Fax: 650-721-6921. Email:
[email protected] © Ivyspring International Publisher. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Reproduction is permitted for personal, noncommercial use, provided that the article is in whole, unmodified, and properly cited. Received: 2013.07.26; Accepted: 2013.09.22; Published: 2013.12.06 Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) function as regulatory molecules of gene expression with multifaceted activities that exhibit direct or indirect oncogenic properties, which promote cell proliferation, differentiation, and the development of different types of cancers. Because of their extensive functional involvement in many cellular processes, under both normal and pathological conditions such as various cancers, this class of molecules holds particular interest for cancer research. MiRNAs possess the ability to act as tumor suppressors or oncogenes by regulating the expression of different apoptotic proteins, kinases, oncogenes, and other molecular mechanisms that can cause the onset of tumor development.