A review of the current standing of microRNA expression in canine urothelial carcinoma.

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the most common urogenital cancer in dogs. With early diagnosis, the disease can be controlled, to reduce progression of disease, in most dogs with a good quality of life. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as a potential diagnostic and prognostic tool due to their stability and presence in both bodily fluids and tissues. MiRNAs have been frequently researched in human medicine and human UC; however, few manuscripts regarding miRNAs in canine UC are available. A search was performed on both PubMed and Google Scholar evaluating original research manuscripts with experimentally validated results for the terms "canine" or "dog"; "urothelial carcinoma," "bladder cancer," "transitional cell carcinoma," "TCC," "MIBC," "IMBUC," or "BLCA"; and "miRNA" or "microRNA." We identified 3 peer-reviewed manuscripts evaluating miRNA expression in canine UC and compared the reported miRNA expression studies to human UC to identify experimentally validated targets of the dysregulated miRNA. In this review, we highlight the similarities and differences between what is reported in canine UC and human UC and discuss the literature gaps that call for further evaluation.