PURPOSE: Phytochemicals are naturally occurring plant-derived compounds and some of them have the potential to serve as anticancer drugs. Based on recent evidence, aberrantly regulated expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is closely associated with malignancy. MicroRNAs are characterized as small non-coding RNAs functioning as posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression. Accordingly, miRNAs regulate various target genes, some of which are involved in the process of carcinogenesis. RESULTS: This comprehensive review emphasizes the anticancer potential of phytochemicals, either isolated or in combination, mediated by miRNAs. The ability to modulate the expression of miRNAs demonstrates their importance as regulators of tumorigenesis. Phytochemicals as anticancer agents targeting miRNAs are widely studied in preclinical in vitro and in vivo research. Unfortunately, their anticancer efficacy in targeting miRNAs is less investigated in clinical research. CONCLUSIONS: Significant anticancer properties of phytochemicals as regulators of miRNA expression have been proven, but more studies investigating their clinical relevance are needed.

2nd Department of Surgery Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University and St Anne's University Hospital Brno Czech Republic

Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology Jessenius Faculty of Medicine Comenius University in Bratislava Martin Slovakia

Department of Immunology School of Medicine Keimyung University Dalseo Gu Daegu Korea

Department of Internal Medicine Brothers of Mercy Hospital Polni 553 3 63900 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Medical Biology Jessenius Faculty of Medicine Comenius University in Bratislava Mala Hora 4 03601 Martin Slovak Republic

Department of Physiology and Biophysics Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar Education City Qatar Foundation P O Box 24144 Doha Qatar

Department of Thoracic Surgery Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Medical University of Silesia Katowice Poland

Division of Oncology Department of Experimental Carcinogenesis Jessenius Faculty of Medicine Biomedical Center Martin Comenius University in Bratislava Martin Slovakia

Faculty of Health Science and Social Work Trnava University Trnava Slovakia

Faculty of Medicine Central University Hospital of Asturias University of Oviedo Oviedo Spain

Gastroenterology Unit Department of Medicine AOUI Policlinico G B Rossi University of Verona Verona Italy

Institute for Health and Sport Victoria University Melbourne Australia

International Research Centre Biotechnologies of the 3rd Millennium ITMO University Saint Petersburg Russian Federation

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