Insights into the role of micrornas in colorectal cancer (CRC) metabolism

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers, with a high mortality rate globally. The pathophysiology of CRC is mainly initiated by alteration in gene expression, leading to dysregulation in multiple signalling pathways and cellular processes. Metabolic reprogramming is one of the important cancer hallmarks in CRC, which involves the adaptive changes in tumour cell metabolism to sustain the high energy requirements for rapid cell proliferation. There are several mechanisms in the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells, such as aerobic glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, lactate and fatty acids metabolism. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that are responsible for post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Differential expression of miRNAs has been shown to play an important role in different aspects of tumorigenesis, such as proliferation, apoptosis, and drug resistance, as well as metabolic reprogramming. Increasing evidence also reports that miRNAs could function as potential regulators of metabolic reprogramming in CRC cells. This review provides an insight into the role of different miRNAs in regulating the metabolism of CRC cells as well as to discuss the potential role of miRNAs as biomarkers or therapeutic targets in CRC tumour metabolism.