MicroRNA Regulation of TRAIL in Renal Carcinoma: Tiny Juggernauts at Work

Renal Carcinoma (RC) is the ninth most prevalent cancer in men. Advancements in high- throughput technology have begun to scratch the surface of the complex landscape of renal cancer. Development, progression, invasion and metastasis are the key mechanism modulated by the microRNAs (miRNAs). Recent pieces of evidence have delineated the role of these micro steering wheels in the regulation of vital processes of RC biology, therefore miRNAs can be implemented as a new therapeutic target for RC. MiRNAs also negatively affect the process of apoptosis in cancer cells leading to their survival and growth. The role of dysregulated mRNAs in hindering the TRAIL- mediated apoptotic pathway is also known. Therapeutic interventions targeting tumor-suppressive miRNAs to promote apoptosis through extrinsic/intrinsic pathways seem a promising approach for advanced stage and metastatic renal cancers. This article aims to discuss RC-specific microRNAs, their roles in the TRAIL pathway and highlight the distinguished microRNAs that could serve as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic targets for this cancer.