Small non-coding RNAs (microRNAs) are involved in almost all biological mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Due to their stability in biological fluids microRNAs may serve a perspective biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of oncological diseases. The review is dedicated to the analysis of microRNAs, as potential diagnostic markers of urological malignancies. Recent advances in the knowledge of miRNAs origin in body fluids, their stability and application as a potentially new class of biomarkers in medicine are summarized and discussed in the article.
Keywords: microRNA; non-invasive diagnostics; prostate cancer; renal cell carcinoma; secretory microRNA; urothelial carcinoma.