Regulatory roles of microRNAs in signaling pathways and their biomarker potential in prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is considered as one of the most common malignancies in men. Despite substantial socioeconomic investment in surgical and clinical treatment strategies, the five-year survival rate for patients with metastatic PCa remains approximately 30%. Therefore, the need for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying PCa development and progression is urgent. In this regard, signaling pathways, including TGF-β, Notch, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, Wnt/β-catenin, and NF-κB, are involved in PCa pathogenesis through the regulation of gene expression, cell proliferation and differentiation, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix synthesis and degradation. During carcinogenesis, genes are abnormaly expressed, hence, targeting the signaling networks that regulate these genes represents an important therapeutic strategy. On the other hand, miRNAs, which are closely associated with multiple signaling pathways, has been linked to PCa development and progression. In particular, miR-let-7c is downregulated, whereas miR-199a-5p and miR-150-5p are upregulated in PCa specimens. This review highlights miRNAs as regulators of signaling pathways in PCa and their clinical relevance, offering potential therapeutic insights.