MiRNAs can function as potential oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Altered expression of these molecules was correlated with the occurrence of many cancer diseases and therefore they are considered a molecular tool for non-invasive cancer diagnosis and prognosis. We searched for analyses concerning expression of blood circulating miRNA in cancer patients. The studies comprised of at least two miRNA expression measurements: before and after the surgical therapy were considered. We summarized latest reports on evaluation of the efficiency of anticancer therapy through observation of changes in expression of miRNA circulating in blood of patients treated with surgery alone. Twenty one research studies were identified. Thirty one different miRNAs were pointed out as potential both diagnostic and treatment response biomarkers since their deregulated expression before therapy returned to normal after receiving the treatment. Published data revealed a potential of circulating miRNA to become a tool giving a clinical follow up information on the efficiency of applied therapy. However, more observational studies on post-operative circulating miRNA expression changes are necessary.

Cancer is a devastating condition characterised by the uncontrolled division of cells with many forms remaining resistant to current treatment. A hallmark of cancer is the gradual accumulation of somatic mutations which drive tumorigenesis in cancerous cells, creating a mutation landscape distinctive to a cancer type, an individual patient or even a single tumour lesion. Gene editing with CRISPR/Cas9-based tools now enables the precise and permanent targeting of mutations and offers an opportunity to harness this technology to target oncogenic mutations. However, the development of safe and effective gene editing therapies for cancer relies on careful design to spare normal cells and avoid introducing other mutations. This article aims to describe recent advancements in cancer-selective treatments based on the CRISPR/Cas9 system, especially focusing on strategies for targeted delivery of the CRISPR/Cas9 machinery to affected cells, controlling Cas9 expression in tissues of interest and disrupting cancer-specific genes to result in selective death of malignant cells.

Vitamin D could have a direct effect on adipocyte differentiation and metabolism and might be involved in glucose regulation of insulin secretion. In recent years several polymorphisms in the gene encoding the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which are potent to alter the activity of VDR protein, have been described. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the VDR BsmI polymorphism and its association with anthropometric and biochemical features of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women. We studied 351 randomly selected healthy postmenopausal women, with mean age of 55.43 +/- 2.75 years and mean body mass index (BMI) of 27.5 +/- 4.78 kg/m2, to evaluate the frequency of BsmI polymorphism (by restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction) in the VDR gene and to find out whether there is an association between this polymorphism and BMI, total fat volume and visceral fat (as determined by total body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), blood pressure, lipid profile (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides) glucose and fasting insulin in the whole group, as well as subgroups of obese and non-obese women. The prevalence of BsmI genotypes in the study group was 51.0% Bb, 37.3% bb and 11.7% BB. Genotype distribution did not differ from that expected under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium conditions (chi2 = 2.95, p = 0.22). Apart from LDL-C levels (F = 3.46, p = 0.032), there were no significant differences in anthropometric or metabolic parameters between genotypes. The BsmI polymorphism in the VDR gene does not seem to predispose to obesity and insulin resistance, but the BB genotype is connected with an unfavorable lipid profile.