• Masashi Ishikawa, Masae Iwasaki, Atsuhiro Sakamoto, and Daqing Ma.
• Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan. masashi-i@nms.ac.jp.
• BMC Anesthesiol. 2021 Mar 9; 21 (1): 71.

BackgroundmicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded and noncoding RNA molecules that control post-transcriptional gene regulation. miRNAs can be tumor suppressors or oncogenes through various mechanism including cancer cell biology, cell-to-cell communication, and anti-cancer immunity.Main BodyAnesthetics can affect cell biology through miRNA-mediated regulation of messenger RNA (mRNA). Indeed, sevoflurane was reported to upregulate miR-203 and suppresses breast cancer cell proliferation. Propofol reduces matrix metalloproteinase expression through its impact on miRNAs, leading to anti-cancer microenvironmental changes. Propofol also modifies miRNA expression profile in circulating extracellular vesicles with their subsequent anti-cancer effects via modulating cell-to-cell communication.ConclusionInhalational and intravenous anesthetics can alter cancer cell biology through various cellular signaling pathways induced by miRNAs' modification. However, this area of research is insufficient and further study is needed to figure out optimal anesthesia regimens for cancer patients.

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