Research summary
MicroRNAs as cancer-relevant non-coding regulators define this body of work. A 2002 PNAS study mapped the smallest commonly deleted region at 13q14 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and found that the deletion targets miR-15a and miR-16-1 rather than a protein-coding tumor suppressor, providing the first direct evidence that miRNA loss can drive a human cancer [2]. A 2004 PNAS analysis showed that human miRNA loci are preferentially located at fragile sites and at chromosomal regions altered in cancer, supporting a genome-wide role for miRNA copy-number alteration in tumorigenesis [3]. A 2005 PNAS study identified BCL2 as the relevant target of miR-15 and miR-16 and showed that restoring expression of these miRNAs induces apoptosis in malignant B cells, providing a mechanistic link between 13q14 deletion and the antiapoptotic phenotype of CLL [5]. A 2005 NEJM paper used a custom miRNA microarray on 94 CLL samples and identified an miRNA signature associated with the prognostic indicators ZAP-70 and IgVH mutation and with disease progression [7]. A 2006 PNAS paper profiled 540 tumor and normal samples across lung, breast, stomach, prostate, colon, and pancreatic cancers and defined a solid-tumor miRNA expression signature whose dysregulated members converge on cancer-relevant target genes [1]. A 2005 Cancer Research paper extended the analysis to human breast cancer, identifying miRNAs whose expression correlated with biopathologic features including hormone-receptor status and proliferation index [4]. A 2016 Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy review synthesized the field, organizing mechanisms of miRNA deregulation (amplification, deletion, methylation, processing-machinery defects) and discussing therapeutic exploitation [6]. Together the works define miRNAs as a third class of cancer genes alongside oncogenes and tumor suppressors and establish profiling as a clinically informative readout.
Recent publications
- MicroRNA signatures in human cancersDOI
- A microRNA expression signature of human solid tumors defines cancer gene targetsDOI
- Frequent deletions and down-regulation of micro- RNA genes miR15 and miR16 at 13q14 in chronic lymphocytic leukemiaDOI
- Human microRNA genes are frequently located at fragile sites and genomic regions involved in cancersDOI
- MicroRNA Gene Expression Deregulation in Human Breast CancerDOI
- miR-15 and miR-16 induce apoptosis by targeting BCL2DOI
- Unique microRNA molecular profiles in lung cancer diagnosis and prognosisDOI
- Causes and consequences of microRNA dysregulation in cancerDOI
- The role of MicroRNAs in human cancerDOI
- A MicroRNA Signature Associated with Prognosis and Progression in Chronic Lymphocytic LeukemiaDOI
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Email Carlo M. Croce 6-12 months before your application deadline. Read several recent papers and reference specific work in your message. Use our how to email a Japanese professor guide for the proven email structure.
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External profiles
- ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3788-1457
- OpenAlex: openalex.org
Profile compiled from public sources (Researchmap, OpenAlex, Osaka University faculty directory). Last refreshed 2026-05. Report incorrect information.