Role of MicroRNA in ROS Modulation and Its Implication in Lung Cancer and Therapeutics

microRNA are 21-22 nucleotide long single-stranded RNA that has gained a considerable reputation as a potential biomarker in tumorigenesis. Previous studies have shown a significant correlation between miRNA expression and level of ROS across various cancer types. ROS are produced as a byproduct of normal cellular processes and play a key role in various signaling pathways. ROS serves as a double-edged sword in tumorigenesis. On the one hand, it can promote tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and chemotherapeutic resistance, while, on the other hand, beyond the threshold limit, it can promote genomic instability and cell death. It has been observed that miRNA can modulate ROS generation either by targeting its source or the ROS scavenging pathway, and at the same time, ROS can also regulate miRNA expression. Therefore, to develop efficient miRNA-directed therapeutic strategies, it is important to understand their interaction. In this review, we have tried to highlight the recent progress made in this field by restricting ourselves to lung tumorigenesis, which forms the leading cause of death related to cancer.